Fossil Fuels: Government Assistance

Gregory Barker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which fossil fuel energy projects the Export Credits Guarantee Department is supporting; in which country each project is situated; which UK companies are in receipt of support; what type of plant is being supported in each case; what the  (a) start and  (b) completion dates are for each project; and how much is being provided to each.

Ian Pearson: The following table lists relevant case details where ECGD has a contingent liability arising from the support it is providing. In the majority of instances, this support takes the form of a guarantee given to a bank or syndicate of banks in respect of a loan made to an overseas buyer in order to enable it to finance the purchase of supplies of goods and services from persons carrying on business in the United Kingdom. In the remaining instances, ECGD has provided insurance to a person carrying on business in the UK in respect of loss arising in relation to either a contract for the supply of goods or services to an overseas buyer or an investment in an overseas project. The contractual periods are best estimates based on data held electronically by ECGD. The amounts now at risk are generally lower than the original amounts shown, due to payments having been made under the guaranteed loans or insured contracts.
	'Fossil fuel projects' include oil and gas transportation, coal, oil and gas extraction projects power generation and energy projects which involve the use of fossil fuels but exclude petrochemical projects.
	
		
			  Country  UK e xporter  Project  Detailed description (w here available)  Original level of support provided (£ )  Liability s tart date (est.)  Contract completion d ate (est.)  Product t ype 
			 Indonesia NEI Power Projects Ltd. Combined Cycle Power Plant  £36,647,273 December 1994 December 2001 Buyer credit guarantee 
			 India Parsons Power Generation Sys Ltd. Kakinada Power Station 208 MW gas fired power station £7,544,748 February 1995 October 1997 Buyerc credit guarantee 
			 Russian Federation SNC-Lavalin UK Limited Volgograd Refinery  £24,559,680 November 1997 November 2000 Buyer credit guarantee 
			 Indonesia Allen Power Engineering Limited Power Stn Extension Supply & installation of 11 diesel generating sets £18,955,088 December 1997 December 2000 Buyer credit guarantee 
			 Turkey Allen Power Engineering Limited Bilkent  £6,799,523 October 1998 September 1999 Buyer credit guarantee 
			 Venezuela (1)— Oil and Gas Project  £50,668,873 (1)— (1)— Overseas investment insurance/EXIP insurance 
			 South Africa Kellogg Brown & Root Energy Services Limited Mossgas Field Development Drilling of wells and provision of subsea production transport & processing systems £50,101,747 November 1999 October 2000 Buyer credit guarantee 
			 Philippines ABN Amro Bank NV San Lorenzo Gas Power 500MW gas power station at Batangas £44,382,802 March 2000 September 2005 Overseas investment insurance 
			 Dominican Republic Motherwell Bridge Engineering Limited San Pedro Power Station Conversion of oil power station to gas fired power station £15,783,542 April 2000 February 2002 Project finance guarantee 
			 Iran (Islamic Republic of) Skanska Construction UK Limited Tabas Coal Mine Coal mine £29,524,244 March 2001 June 2005 Buyer credit guarantee 
			 Algeria Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery Limited Pipeline Project Supply of pumping and generating sets for the OZ2 Pipeline £22,282,064 October 2001 October 2003 Buyer credit guarantee 
			 Brazil MAN B&W Diesel Limited 4 x Diesel Generating Sets Supply and installation of generating sets £6,884,401 November 2001 December 2002 SCF guarantee 
			 Israel Alstom Power Limited Refurb of Existing Power Station Low emission boiler and converter £7,094,427 March 2002 October 2003 Buyer credit guarantee 
			 Turkey Alstom Power Plants Ltd. Coface Reins Relating to 2x160 MLO power station at Can £7,262,428 April 2002 February 2004 Buyer credit guarantee 
			 Nigeria M W Kellogg Limited Lng Project Addition of trains 4 and 5 to existing LNG plant £119,033,808 December 2002 September 2005 Buyer credit guarantee 
			 Algeria Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery Limited Pipeline Project Supply of turbine generator sets for the OZ2 Pipeline £23,061,936 September 2003 September 2005 Buyer credit guarantee 
			 Brazil Diamond Offshore Drilling (UK) Limited P52 Oil Platform Drilling offshore exploration wells/charter of an offshore drilling unit £42,767,276 January 2004 February 2004 Project finance guarantee 
			 Azerbaijan BP Exploration (Caspian Sea) Limited BTC Piepline Project Oil pipeline £56,354,403 February 2004 August 2006 SCF guarantee 
			 Iran (Islamic Republic of) Salzgitter Mannesmann (UK) Limited South Pars Phases 9 and 10 Steel-related products for the downstream development of a gas field £12,630,693 July 2004 July 2008 SCF guarantee 
			 Iran (Islamic Republic of) Man Limited South Pars Phases 9 and 10 Mechanical, piping and electrical engineering equipment for the downstream development of a gas field £32,529,092 July 2004 July 2008 SCF guarantee 
			 Iran (Islamic Republic of) Doncasters Middle East Limited Turbine Blade Technology Provision of services and tooling to refurbish turbine generator blades. £14,373,935 August 2004 March 2006 SCF guarantee 
			 Kazakhstan Kellogg Brown & Root Limited Ali Bekmola Oil Field Development Oil field services £6,839,754 November 2004 December 2004 SCF guarantee 
			 Mexico Odebrecht Oil and Gas Services Limited Living Quarters On Oil Platform  £6,189,505 November 2004 December 2004 SCF guarantee 
			 Brazil Invsat Limited P52 Oil Platform Full telecommunications package £1,318,153 October 2005 October 2007 SCF guarantee 
			 Brazil Koch Chemical Technology Group Limited P52 Oil Platform Vacuum deaeration equipment £2,099,502 October 2005 October 2007 SCF guarantee 
			 Brazil Rolls-Royce Power Engineering Plc P52 Oil Platform Power generation equipment £26,695,937 October 2005 October 2007 SCF guarantee 
			 Brazil VWS Westgarth Limited P52 Oil Platform Sulphate reduction equipment £6,488,282 October 2005 October 2007 SCF guarantee 
			 Korea, Republic of Alstom Power Conversion Limited Shin Wolsuing Power Stn.  £1,127,299 January 2006 January 2009 EXIP insurance 
			 Turkey Brush Electrical Machines Limited 50MW Generators Sets  £684,163 March 2006 May 2006 Buyer credit guarantee 
			 Mexico SLP Engineering Limited KMZ Oil Field Platform Accommodation platforms £12,468,774 June 2006 January 2008 SCF guarantee 
			 Nigeria Gentec Energy Plc 5MW Gas Fired Power Plant  £7,891,229 May 2008 June 2009 SCF guarantee 
			 Nigeria Gentec Energy Plc 12.75MW Power Stn. and gas Plant  £13,669,924 September 2008 September 2009 SCF guarantee 
			 (1) Information withheld to protect the commercial interests of the company and ECGD

Members: Correspondence

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when the Economic and Business Minister plans to respond to the letter from the right hon. Member for West Derbyshire of 25 November 2008 on the downturn in the construction industry.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 20 April 2009
	I responded to the hon. Member on 20 April.

Children in Care

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much on average it cost for a child under the age of five years to be looked after by  (a) a local authority and  (b) foster parents in the latest period for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: The Department of Health's Information Centre published the latest figures on costs per child for looked after children. However information is not broken down by age therefore we cannot provide a complete response.
	General costs per child for looked after children can be found in the publication 'Personal Social Services Expenditure (PSSEX1 return) and Unit Costs: England 2007-08 ', which can be accessed via the link below.
	http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/social-care/adult-social-care-information/personal-social-services-expenditure-and-unit-costs:-england-2007-08

Children in Care

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children have been in local authority care homes in  (a) Leeds West constituency,  (b) Leeds Metropolitan District and  (c) England in each year from 1997.

Beverley Hughes: Information on the number of children who were in local authority care homes in  (a) Leeds, West constituency,  (b) Leeds metropolitan district is not collected centrally. The number of children who were placed in children's homes by Leeds local authority and  (c) by all local authorities in England, in each year since 2000, are shown in the table.
	In 2000, a new coding system was introduced. For years 1997 to 1999 it was found that the results of the analysis carried out could not accurately identify the number of children who were looked after exclusively in children's homes.
	
		
			  Children looked after at 31 March who were placed in children's homes( 1,2,3,4) .  Years ending 31 March 2000 to 2008 .  Coverage: England and Leeds local authority 
			  Number 
			   England  Leeds 
			 2000 6,400 160 
			 2001 6,100 140 
			 2002 6,000 140 
			 2003 6,000 125 
			 2004 5,900 140 
			 2005 5,600 130 
			 2006 5,300 125 
			 2007 5,200 115 
			 2008 5,200 125 
			 (1) Source: SSDA903 return on children looked after. (2) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements. (3) Figures account for children's homes only and exclude residential settings not subject to Children's Homes regulations. (4 )Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials.

Children: Databases

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which private companies have been contracted to work on the  (a) development and  (b) implementation of the ContactPoint database in each year since 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Since 2005 the Department has contracted with Capgemini UK plc for the design, and subsequently for the build and test, and hosting and support of the ContactPoint database; and with Capita Learning and Development to deliver training and deployment services associated with the implementation of ContactPoint to users.
	The Department has also contracted with PA Consulting and WS Atkins as prime contractors to provide client-side consultancy services to support the development and implementation of the ContactPoint Project.
	Furthermore, the Department has contracted with a number of other suppliers for specialist consultancy and other ancillary services to support the set up and operation of ContactPoint system and Project.

Children: Protection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many serious case reviews have been received by his Department in each year since their introduction, broken down by local authority; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what serious case reviews received by his Department had been sent by each local authority since 1 January 2007; and on what date each was received.

Beverley Hughes: Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) are asked to provide an anonymised copy of each full Serious Case Review (SCR) to the Department for Children, Schools and Families as soon as possible after the publication of the executive summary. This is to inform biennial overview reports which analyse the key findings from SCRs taken as a whole and identify the implications for policy and practice. Officials follow up any outstanding SCRs to ensure that biennial overview reports are based on as full a set of SCRs as possible.
	The latest published biennial overview report for the period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2005 notes that 161 Serious Case Reviews were included in that study.
	The next biennial overview report, covering the period 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2007 and to be published this spring, will draw on around 190 Serious Case Reviews. A further 118 Serious Case Reviews have been received more recently and will be taken into account in future research as appropriate.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington, of 22 April 2008,  Official Report, columns 2030-1W, on departmental carbon emissions, if he will make it his policy for his Department to adopt the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management programme.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Carbon Trust completed a review of our headquarters estate in 2006 as part of an energy management assessment programme. Their findings have been adopted within our carbon management action plans and we report back to the Carbon Trust annually on progress.
	The decision not to adopt the Carbon Trust's carbon management programme has been reconsidered. The Carbon Trust carbon management programme would duplicate systems and programmes already in place within our Sustainable Operations Environmental Management System.

Family Nurse Partnership Programme

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how the £30 million allocated to the future expansion of the Family Nurse Partnership under the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 will be allocated to each area; whether the evaluation of the Family Nurse Partnership pilots has been completed; in which areas the pilots are being held; and to which other areas he plans to extend the pilot scheme.

Ann Keen: I have been asked to reply.
	The £30 million allocated to the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) under the comprehensive spending review 2007 will contribute to local costs in up to 70 primary care trust and local authority test sites. It also supports extensive evaluation, the provision of family nurse training, licenced programme materials and implementation advice and guidance. In addition, it is funding a number of development projects to support adaptation of the programme to the English context.
	The FNP is currently being tested in 30 areas and a further 20 test sites will start operation in 2009-10, bringing the total to 50(1). The Child Health Strategy Healthy lives, brighter futures, published on 12 February 2009, set out plans for further expansion of the FNP, to 70 test sites by 2011, with a view to rolling out this support to the most vulnerable first time young mothers across England over the next decade, if research findings are positive. A copy of the strategy has already been placed in the Library.
	An evaluation of the first 10 test sites is being conducted by the university of London, Birkbeck. A first year report was published in July 2008, with promising early findings. A copy has been placed in the Library. We hope to publish a report of the second year by this summer. In addition, a randomised controlled trial is starting this month in 18 sites, to test the impact of FNP compared with usual services.
	(1) 10 FNP sites started delivery in 2007-08: Barnsley, Derby City, County Durham and Darlington, Manchester, Berkshire East, Southwark, South East Sussex, Somerset, Tower Hamlets, Walsall. 20 sites started in 2008-09: Blackpool, Calderdale, Hastings and Rother, Islington, Milton Keynes, Nottingham City, Plymouth, Southampton, Stockport, Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham South, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, Coventry, Cumbria, Hull, Lambeth, Leeds, Liverpool, Northamptonshire and Sunderland.
	20 further sites will start operation in 2009-10: Doncaster, Ealing, Kirklees, Medway, Sandwell, Sheffield, Swindon, Telford and Wrekin, Birmingham East and North, Bradford and Airedale, Cambridgeshire, Gateshead Tyne and Wear, Knowsley, Lewisham, Norfolk, Oxfordshire, Wirral, Dudley, Waltham Forest and Hammersmith and Fulham.

Israel: Anniversaries

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2009,  Official Report, column 358W, on Israel: anniversaries, if he will place in the Library a copy of the speech he made at the Salute to Israel celebration; who drafted the speech; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: A copy of the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families' speech to the 'Salute to Israel' celebration is available on the Department's website:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/speeches/search_detail.cfm?ID=805
	The Secretary of State is responsible for the content of his speeches.

National Curriculum Tests

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) inquiry into issues raised by the Sutherland Report, as referred to in the QCA statement of 1 April 2009.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The results of the internal inquiry referred to in the previous answer are reflected in the published statements. The detailed findings of the inquiry are confidential, contain personal data and are subject to legal privilege, and it cannot be published.

Performing Arts

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 1248-9W, on performing arts, what the cost was to his Department of engaging actors, musicians and other performers supporting the Department's initiatives and campaigns since June 2007.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 31 March 2009
	Since its inception, in June 2007, the Department has spent a total of £85,205, excluding VAT, paid to actors, musicians and performers for appearance in some of the Department's marketing campaigns.

Pupil Exclusions

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils who were eligible for free school meals and had non-statemented special educational needs were given  (a) fixed-term and  (b) permanent exclusions in (i) 2004 and (ii) 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Exclusions data was matched to pupil characteristics for the first time in 2005/06, but for secondary schools only. In 2006/07 this was extended to primary and special schools. Therefore exclusions related to free school meal eligibility is not available for 2004.
	Information on exclusions for the 2007/08 school year is expected to be published in the summer.

Pupil Exclusions: Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils who were eligible for free school meals and had special educational needs were given  (a) fixed-term and  (b) permanent exclusions in each year since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Data on pupil characteristics linked to exclusions was collected in the School Census for the first time in 2005/06, but was collected from secondary schools only. In 2006/07 data were also collected from primary and special schools. The special educational needs status can change between periods of exclusion and the Department is currently working on a methodology for the analysis of this information.

Pupil Referral Units

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which pupil referral units  (a) opened and  (b) closed in 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The numbers of Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) opened and closed in 2008 were 32 and 25 respectively.
	The following two lists name the relevant PRUs:
	 Pupil Referral Units opened in 2008
	Ashford and Shepway Alternative Curriculum PRU
	Canterbury and Swale Alternative Curriculum PRU
	Dartford and Gravesham
	Maidstone and Malling Alternative Curriculum PRU
	Thanet and Dover Alternative Curriculum PRU
	Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks Alternative Curriculum PRU
	Nexus Centre
	The Gateway Centre
	Springboard Centre
	Maple Medical PRU
	Short Course Centre
	Chace Extended Learning Centre
	Clifton and Grosvenor Centre
	Southwark Inclusive Learning Service KS3, KS4 and Sils+
	The Beechwood Centre
	The Phoenix Centre
	The Lilford Centre
	Pupil Support Centre (West)
	Lanchester PRU
	KS1 Pupil Referral Unit
	KS2/3 PRU
	The Cheadle Centre
	School Returners/Young Mums Provision
	Primary Centre
	Secondary Centre
	The Ashwood Centre
	The Bridge
	Bradford District PRU
	Church Lane Pupil Referral Unit
	Unity Learning Centre
	The Rowan Centre
	St. Mary's Centre
	 Pupil Referral Units closed in 2008
	Tinshill Learning Centre
	Charles Edward Brooke Refugee Centre Co Charles Edward Brooke CofE School
	Centre 4
	Beckett Road Centre
	Hexthorpe Centre
	Young Parents Centre
	The Long Sandall Centre
	Greengates Primary Pupil Support Centre
	Hospital and Interim Tuition Service
	Young People Out of School Project
	The Grosvenor Centre
	The Clifton Centre
	The Education Support Centre
	Summit Centre
	Park Centre
	MILL Road Pupil Referral Unit, Ipors Centre
	Cornwall Hospital Education Service
	Greasbrough Centre
	The Bridge
	Sunderland Pupil Referral Unit
	Southwark Inclusive Learning Service Plus (Sils+)
	The Willows Centre Pupil Referral Unit
	Alternative Provision PRU
	The Gerard Pupil Referral Unit
	Link Education Centre (Orchard Lodge)
	 Source
	EduBase

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex received free school meals in each of the last 10 years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information is shown in the table, together with the numbers of children eligible for free school meals.
	
		
			  Maintained nursery and primary schools1 and state-funded secondary schools( 1,2) : pupils taking( 3)  known and to be eligible for free school meals: As at January each year in East Sussex local authority and Eastbourne parliamentary constituency 
			  East Sussex local authority 
			   Maintained Nursery and Primary Schools  State-funded Secondary Schools 
			   No. on roll( 4)  No. of pupils taking free school meals  % taking free school meals  No. known to be eligible for free school meals  % known to be eligible for free school meals  No. on roll( 4)  No. of pupils taking free school meals  % taking free school meals  No. known to be eligible for free school meals  % known to be eligible for free school meals 
			 1999 38,540 4,620 12.0 5,930 15.4 26,360 2,580 9.8 3,760 14.3 
			 2000 38,430 4,460 11.6 5,760 15.0 27,130 2,660 9.8 3,760 13.9 
			 2001 38,270 4,250 11.1 5,640 14.7 27,810 2,500 9.0 3,640 13.1 
			 2002 38,050 4,030 10.6 5,250 13.8 28,090 2,310 8.2 3,370 12.0 
			 2003 37,760 3,980 10.5 5,140 13.6 28,610 2,330 8.2 3,210 11.2 
			 2004 37,120 3,760 10.1 4,850 13.1 29,070 2,200 7.6 3,290 11.3 
			 2005 36,980 3,640 9.8 4,630 12.5 28,820 2,160 7.5 3,160 11.0 
			 2006 36,290 3,490 9.6 4,230 11.7 28,710 2,310 8.0 2,980 10.4 
			 2007 35,790 3,090 8.6 3,980 11.1 28,520 2,020 7.1 2,780 9.7 
			 2008 35,480 3,200 9.0 3,940 11.1 28,160 2,200 7.8 2,660 9.5 
		
	
	
		
			  Eastbourne parliamentary constituency 
			   Maintained Nursery and Primary Schools  State-funded Secondary Schools 
			   No. on roll( 4)  No. of pupils taking free school meals  % taking free school meals  No. known to be eligible for free school meals  % known to be eligible for free school meals  No. on roll( 4)  No. of pupils taking free school meals  % taking free school meals  No. known to be eligible for free school meals  % known to be eligible for free school meals 
			 1999 7,030 960 13.6 1,260 17.9 4,650 600 13.0 900 19.2 
			 2000 7,120 980 13.8 1,290 18.1 4,880 650 13.2 880 17.9 
			 2001 7,060 960 13.6 1,270 18.0 5,210 590 11.4 830 15.9 
			 2002 7,110 900 12.6 1,170 16.4 5,340 570 10.7 720 13.5 
			 2003 7,210 920 12.7 1,200 16.7 5,570 550 9.8 780 14.0 
			 2004 7,050 890 12.6 1,120 15.9 5,670 540 9.5 770 13.7 
			 2005 7,010 840 11.9 1,100 15.7 5,690 500 8.8 760 13.3 
			 2006 7,000 830 11.9 1,000 14.3 5,740 560 9.7 760 13.3 
			 2007 6,950 730 10.5 960 13.8 5,790 480 8.2 710 12.3 
			 2008 6,940 770 11.1 900 13.0 5,660 580 10.3 690 12.2 
			 (1) Includes middle-schools as deemed. (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies (3) Number of pupils who took a free school meal on the day of the January census (4) Prior to 2003, this includes a all full-time and part-time pupils who are solely registered, excluding boarding pupils. Due to underlying changes in data collection , this coverage was extended to also include all pupils with dual (main) registration and boarding pupils, from 2003.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of pupils who may be eligible for free school meals but whose parents have not applied for them; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information on the number of pupils who may be eligible for free school meals but do not submit a claim is not collected by the Department.
	The latest information on free school meals are published in Table E38, B9 and B20 of the Statistical First Release 09/2008: Pupil Characteristics and Class Sizes in Maintained Schools in England: January 2008, this can be found at this website;
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000786/index.shtml

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in  (a) Braintree,  (b) Essex and  (c) England received free school meals in each year since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information is shown in the table, together with the numbers of children eligible for free school meals. The numbers receiving free school meals on Census day are regarded as fewer representatives than the numbers eligible.
	
		
			  Maintained nursery, maintained primary and state-funded secondary schools: school meal arrangements—as at January each year 
			   Maintained nursery and primary schools( 1)  State-funded secondary schools( 1,2) 
			   Number on roll( 3)  Number of pupils taking free school meals  Percentage taking free school meals  Number known to be eligible for free school meals  Percentage known to be eligible for free school meals  Number on roll( 3)  Number of pupils taking free school meals  Percentage taking free school meals  Number known to be eligible for free school meals  Percentage known to be eligible for free school meals 
			  Braintree   
			 1997 8,840 1,100 12.5 1,350 15.3 4,860 470 9.7 620 12.8 
			 1998 9,160 920 10.1 1,190 13.0 4,880 470 9.7 630 12.9 
			 1999 9,320 850 9.1 1,090 11.7 4,990 430 8.7 580 11.6 
			 2000 9,230 780 8.4 1,060 11.5 5,180 410 7.9 570 10.9 
			 2001 9,350 740 7.9 940 10.0 5,390 400 7.5 590 10.9 
			 2002 9,680 750 7.7 970 10.0 5,590 390 6.9 570 10.1 
			 2003 9,690 700 7.3 910 9.3 5,660 410 7.2 530 9.3 
			 2004 9,590 730 7.6 940 9.8 5,870 400 6.7 540 9.2 
			 2005 9,450 690 7.3 830 8.8 5,980 400 6.7 530 8.8 
			 2006 9,360 680 7.3 800 8.6 6,070 350 5.8 450 7.4 
			 2007 9,280 690 7.4 780 8.3 6,040 340 5.6 420 70 
			 2008 9,290 670 7.2 740 8.0 5,960 310 5.1 390 6.6 
			
			  Essex   
			 1997(4) 136,680 18,670 13.7 23,110 16.9 97,620 9,240 9.5 12,540 12.8 
			 1998(4) 139,410 17,300 12.4 21,570 15.5 98,590 9,000 9.1 12,280 12.5 
			 1999(5) 113,130 11,910 10.5 15,480 13.7 82,190 6,620 8.1 9,050 11.0 
			 2000(5) 113,220 11,380 10.0 14,530 12.8 84,220 6,550 7.8 8,830 10.5 
			 2001(5) 112,740 10,320 9.2 13,180 11.7 86,250 6,110 7.1 8,600 10.0 
			 2002(5) 112,450 9,830 8.7 12,790 11.4 87,800 6,050 6.9 8,200 9.3 
			 2003(5) 111,440 9,790 8.8 12,400 11.1 89,500 6,000 6.7 7,990 8.9 
			 2004(5) 110,430 9,790 8.9 12,340 11.2 90,690 6,280 6.9 8,160 9.0 
			 2005(5) 108,690 9,580 8.8 11,790 10.8 90,910 6,040 6.6 7,770 8.5 
			 2006(5) 107,390 9,430 8.8 10,800 10.1 91,100 5,840 6.4 7,590 8.3 
			 2007(5) 105,860 9,130 8.6 10,530 9.9 90,530 5,430 6.0 7,030 7.8 
			 2008(5) 105,250 8,890 8.4 9,970 9.5 89,680 5,360 6.0 6,730 7.5 
			
			  England   
			 1997 4,479,450 775,740 17.3 944,590 21.1 3,052,280 384,150 12.6 556,250 18.2 
			 1998 4,508,920 731,580 16.2 891,050 19.8 3,084,820 370,580 12.0 540,250 17.5 
			 1999 4,507,660 690,320 15.3 853,020 18.9 3,134,470 370,510 11.8 527,340 16.8 
			 2000 4,481,680 671,490 15.0 821,520 18.3 3,194,590 370,930 11.6 526,740 16.5 
			 2001 4,451,220 631,640 14.2 783,510 17.6 3,740,130 355,700 9.5 512,320 13.7 
			 2002 4,405,640 616,630 14.0 754,510 17.1 3,277,100 356,440 10.9 488,490 14.9 
			 2003 4,350,260 604,910 13.9 731,610 16.8 3,328,730 353,000 10.6 482,920 14.5 
			 2004 4,293,180 608,760 14.2 741,150 17.3 3,353,360 356,970 10.6 483,880 14.4 
			 2005 4,243,110 568,350 13.4 717,230 16.9 3,349,220 341,810 10.2 473,740 14.1 
			 2006 4,187,630 556,180 13.3 670,340 16.0 3,347,500 336,940 10.1 458,690 13.7 
			 2007 4,148,390 544,370 13.1 658,910 15.9 3,325,620 327,110 9.8 445,070 13.4 
			 2008 4,127,840 538,460 13.0 641,490 15.5 3,294,580 326,480 9.9 433,140 13.1 
			 (1) Includes middle-schools as deemed. (2) Includes City Technology Colleges and Academies. (3) Prior to 2003, this includes all full-time and part-time pupils who are solely registered, excluding boarding pupils. Due to underlying changes in data collection, this coverage was extended to also include all pupils with dual (main) registration and boarding pupils, from2003. (4) Before local authority reorganisation. (5) After local authority reorganisation.  Source: School Census

Regional Ministers: Travel

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether the Permanent Secretary of his Department has authorised expenditure on travel costs for the Parliamentary assistant to the Minister for the North West in accordance with the circumstances envisaged in the Cabinet Secretary's letter to Permanent Secretaries of 2 December 2008.

Beverley Hughes: Since guidance was issued by the Cabinet Secretary on 2 December 2008, the permanent secretary has not authorised any expenditure on travel costs for the parliamentary assistant to the Minister for the North West. Prior to that, the Department paid transport costs for the parliamentary assistant to attend an event in November in the Minister's place when she was unable to attend due to parliamentary business.

Schools: Children In Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Answer of 24 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 753-4W, on schools: children in care, in which local authority each school is located.

Beverley Hughes: The requested information has been placed in the Library.

Truancy

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the absence rate in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in each decile of area deprivation was in 2007-08, broken down by reason for absence; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  (a) Pupil( 1)  absence rate( 2)  in primary schools( 3)  by reason and IDACI( 4)  decile of school location, 2007/08 
			   IDACI Decile (0-10 per cent. = most deprived) 
			  Reason of absence  0-10  10-20  20-30  30-40  40-50  50-60  60-70  70-80  80-90  90-100 
			 Illness 3.47 3.54 3.44 3.29 3.18 3.07 2.94 2.81 2.67 2.58 
			 Medical/dental appointments 0.28 0.29 0.28 0.28 0.27 0.27 0.27 0.26 0.25 0.23 
			 Religious observance 0.27 0.16 0.09 0.06 0.05 0.03 0.03 0.02 0.02 0.02 
			 Study leave 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 Traveller absence 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.03 0.02 0.02 0.02 
			 Agreed holiday 0.49 0.58 0.65 0.70 0.73 0.76 0.75 0.76 0.77 0.75 
			 Agreed extended holiday 0.05 0.05 0.03 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.01 0.02 0.01 0.01 
			 Excluded 0.04 0.03 0.03 0.02 0.02 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 
			 Other authorised 0.38 0.36 0.32 0.29 0.28 0.26 0.24 0.21 0.20 0.20 
			 Total authorised(5) 5.28 5.28 5.08 4.90 4.75 4.61 4.44 4.27 4.14 3.98 
			
			 Holiday not agreed 0.13 0.12 0.11 0.09 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.07 0.07 0.06 
			 Arrived late 0.09 0.08 0.08 0.07 0.05 0.05 0.04 0.03 0.03 0.02 
			 Other unauthorised 0.65 0.51 0.39 0.29 0.23 0.19 0.15 0.13 0.10 0.08 
			 No reason yet 0.25 0.20 0.17 0.13 0.11 0.10 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.05 
			 Total unauthorised(5) 1.20 0.96 0.77 0.60 0.51 0.43 0.35 0.30 0.26 0.23 
			
			 Total overall(5) 6.47 6.24 5.85 5.50 5.25 5.04 4.78 4.57 4.40 4.21 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Pupil( 1)  absence rate( 2)  in secondary schools( 3,6)  by reason and IDACI( 4)  decile of school location, 2007/08 
			   IDACI Decile (0-10 per cent. = most deprived) 
			  Reason of absence  0-10  10-20  20-30  30-40  40-50  50-60  60-70  70-80  80-90  90-100 
			 Illness 3.61 3.77 3.85 3.91 3.77 3.84 3.71 3.72 3.63 3.50 
			 Medical/dental appointments 0.42 0.40 0.43 0.43 0.41 0.44 0.43 0.42 0.41 0.43 
			 Religious observance 0.20 0.08 0.09 0.05 0.04 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03 
			 Study Leave 0.07 0.07 0.15 0.18 0.20 0.18 0.22 0.21 0.26 0.31 
			 Traveller absence 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 
			 Agreed holiday 0.32 0.37 0.38 0.38 0.38 0.41 0.39 0.39 0.41 0.37 
			 Agreed extended holiday 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 
			 Excluded 0.19 0.23 0.20 0.17 0.18 0.16 0.15 0.16 0.14 0.13 
			 Other authorised 0.71 0.76 0.65 0.57 0.56 0.52 0.54 0.51 0.51 0.51 
			 Total authorised(5) 5.94 6.11 6.04 6.05 5.93 5.89 5.82 5.74 5.72 5.59 
			
			 Holiday not agreed 0.11 0.11 0.12 0.11 0.10 0.09 0.09 0.09 0.08 0.09 
			 Arrived late 0.06 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.07 0.07 0.08 0.09 0.06 0.08 
			 Other unauthorised 1.39 1.35 1.21 1.01 0.86 0.72 0.80 0.72 0.67 0.63 
			 No reason yet 0.44 0.48 0.36 0.33 0.31 0.31 0.28 0.29 0.20 0.28 
			 Total unauthorised(5) 2.15 2.18 1.85 1.62 1.43 1.26 1.33 1.28 1.08 1.13 
			
			 Total overall(5) 8.09 8.29 7.89 7.67 7.37 7.15 7.15 7.01 6.79 6.73 
			 (1) Pupils aged between 5 and 15 at the start of the academic year. Excludes boarders. (2) Percentage of possible sessions missed based on absence totals as reported by reason. (3) Includes middle schools as deemed. (4) Income Deprivation Affecting Children Indices. (5) Includes absence returned as either authorised or unauthorised totals but not broken down by reason. (6) Includes maintained secondary schools, city technology colleges and academies.  Source: School Census (aggregate of 2007/08 Autumn, Spring and Summer terms) 
		
	
	It is widely recognised, as the data demonstrates, that absence rates increase in areas of high deprivation. Our aim is to reduce all forms of absence and through the National Strategies we are providing intensive support and challenge to those local authorities with high persistent absence, ensuring that all of the targeted schools in their authority are implementing agreed actions to reduce their absence rates.

Truancy: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many days of truancy were recorded in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in the London Borough of Bexley in each of the last three years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information is collected on unauthorised absence.
	Unauthorised absence is absence without leave from a teacher or other authorised representative of the school. This includes all unexplained or unjustified absences, such as lateness, holidays during term time not authorised by the school, absence where reason is not yet established and truancy. Information collected by DCSF on absence is a more comprehensive measure of children's missed schooling
	Information about pupil absence in maintained primary and secondary schools in Bexley local authority has been provided for the years 2006-07 and 2007-08. In 2005-06 the School Census started to collect attendance data at individual pupil level from secondary schools only.
	
		
			  Primary and state-funded secondary schools( 1)  pupil absence by type of school 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08: Bexley local authority 
			   Primary schools( 1)  State funded secondary schools( 1,2) 
			   Percentages of half days missed( 3)  Percentages of half days missed( 3) 
			   Authorised absence  Unauthorised absence  Overall absence  Authorised absence  Unauthorised absence  Overall absence 
			 2005-06 n/a n/a n/a 7.15 1.52 8.66 
			 2006-07 4.54 0.70 5.24 6.56 0.70 7.78 
			 2007-08 4.45 0.81 5.26 5.64 0.81 6.95 
			 n/a = Not available (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes maintained secondary schools, city technology colleges and academies (3) The number of sessions missed due to authorised/unauthorised/overall absence expressed as a percentage of the total number of possible sessions. 
		
	
	The latest available published information on absence, which includes information for local authorities, is published as SFR 03/2009 'Pupil Absence in Schools in England,
	including Pupil Characteristics: 2007-08' at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000817/index.shtml.

Truancy: Fines

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many parents have been fined as a result of their children not attending school in  (a) Southampton,  (b) Test Valley borough and  (c) the ceremonial county of Hampshire for each of the last five years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Ministry of Justice collects data for England and Wales on prosecutions brought against parents under the Education Act 1996 for the offence under s444(1) of failing to secure their child's regular attendance at school; and for prosecutions under s444(1A), the aggravated offence of knowing that their child is failing to attend school regularly. It is possible, because of the way courts record data that some data is collected under the more general heading of various offences under the Education Act 1996.
	The information on the number of parents sentenced and given fines as sentence in the Hampshire area, which includes Southampton, is detailed in the following table. The Ministry of Justice only collects information on prosecutions based on police force regions.
	The Department also collects and publishes data on penalty notices (fines) issued by local authorities in England to parents for not securing their child's regular attendance at school. The figures for Hampshire and Southampton local authorities for the last four school academic years since the data collection began are detailed in the following table.
	Data is only collected on local authority basis.
	
		
			  Adults sentenced for child truanting offences( 1)  in the Hampshire police force area, 2003-07 
			Fined 
			 2003 Parent failing to secure their child's regular attendance at school 35 
			  Parent knowing that their child is failing to attend school regularly without reasonable 0 
			 2004 Parent failing to secure their child's regular attendance at school 47 
			  Parent knowing that their child is failing to attend school regularly without reasonable 1 
			 2005 Parent failing to secure their child's regular attendance at school 17 
			  Parent knowing that their child is failing to attend school regularly without reasonable to justification to cause him or her to attend school 0 
			 2006 Parent failing to secure their child's regular attendance at school 17 
			  Parent knowing that their child is failing to attend school regularly without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 0 
			 2007 Parent failing to secure their child's regular attendance at school 5 
			  Parent knowing that their child is failing to attend school regularly without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 1 
			 (1) These data are extracted on the principal offence basis where offender is found guilty and convicted.  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source: QMS Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice Ref: Sent(OMSAS)107-09 (07/04/2009) 
		
	
	
		
			  School academic year—Penalty notices for non attendance  England  Hampshire LA  Southampton LA 
			 1 September 2004 to 31 July 2005 3,843 32 0 
			 1 August 2005 to 1 September 2006 12,150 99 16 
			 2 September 2006 to 31 August 2007 14,625 83 256 
			 1 September 2007 to 31 August 2008 18,291 82 215

10 Downing Street: Repairs and Maintenance

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the  (a) purpose and  (b) budget of the works in 10 Downing Street with Westminster City Council planning application reference 09/00619/LBC is.

Kevin Brennan: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Watson) to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 20 March 2008,  Official Report, column 1303W.

Death: Clostridium

Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many deaths were caused by clostridium difficile infection in patients aged  (a) under 65 years and  (b) 65 years and over in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell ,  dated 22 April 2009:
	As National Statistician 1 have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths were caused by Clostridium difficile infection in patients aged (a) under 65 years and (b) 65 years and over in each of the last 10 years. (269146)
	The attached table provides the number of deaths where Clostridium difficile was recorded as the underlying cause of death for persons aged (a) under 65 years and (b) 65 years and over, in England and Wales, for 1999 and 2001 to 2007 (the latest year available). Figures for 1998 and 2000 are not available.
	Although Clostridium difficile is defined by the Health Protection Agency as a healthcare associated infection, it is not possible to state whether the deceased was a patient at the time of death, or where the infection was acquired.
	
		
			  Table 1. Deaths with an underlying cause of Clostridium difficile( 1) , England and Wales( 2) ,1999 and 2001-07( 3, 4) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   Under 65 years  65 years and over 
			 1999 18 513 
			 2001 17 676 
			 2002 19 735 
			 2003 29 939 
			 2004 35 1,194 
			 2005 62 2,001 
			 2006 93 3,397 
			 2007 126 3,930 
			 (1 )Identified using the methodology described in Office for National Statistics: Report: Deaths involving Clostridium difficile: England and Wales, 2001-2005. Health Statistics Quarterly 33, 71-75. (2) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (3) All deaths in England and Wales are coded by the Office for National Statistics according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). The Tenth revision (ICD-10) has been used since 2001. In the Ninth revision of the ICD (ICD-9) there are no specific codes that would allow deaths mentioning Clostridium difficile to be easily identified. Figures for 1998 and 2000 are therefore not available as ICD-9 was used in these years. Deaths registered in 1999 were coded to both ICD-9 and ICD-10 as part of a special study to compare the two ICD revisions, and have therefore been used to give an additional year of data on deaths involving Clostridium difficile. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate he has made of the  (a) energy consumed by,  (b) energy cost of and  (c) carbon dioxide emissions from each category of IT device in each division of his Department in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Watson: In 2007-08 the Cabinet Office used 929,000 kWh of electricity at a cost of £61,000 for its IT Services. This equates to carbon dioxide emissions of 401 tonnes. The main category of ICT devices and their energy consumption was:
	
		
			   kWh  C0 2  (tonne) 
			 Desktops 420,000 181 
			 Printing 195,000 84 
			 Data Centre 314,000 135 
		
	
	In June 2007, my Department became part of the public sector flex, a framework for the provision of shared ICT services. Flex provides a number of energy saving measures which are estimated to save the Cabinet Office 84,000 kWh of electricity, equivalent to 36 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, during its first year of operation.
	The Cabinet Office does not hold separate energy consumption figures of IT services prior to 2007-08.

Departmental Surveys

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 1447-48W, on departmental staff surveys, if he will place in the Library a copy of the results of the most recent staff survey undertaken by the Cabinet Office.

Tom Watson: A copy of the results of the most recent staff survey undertaken by the Cabinet Office is published on the civil service website at the following address:
	http://beta.civilservice.gov.uk/Assets/co2007_tcm6-2069.xls
	and will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Lobbying

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he plans to respond to the first Report of the Public Administration Committee of Session 2008-09 on Lobbying: access and influence in Whitehall.

Tom Watson: The Report from the Public Administration Select Committee was published on 5 January. The Government will respond in due course. Before responding, the Government have felt it important to consult a range of interested parties, including different individuals and organisations engaged in lobbying activity and organisations that can offer advice on the experience of other countries, such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OEECD).

Electoral Register

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what discussions the Electoral Commission has had with Government Departments following the announcement that individual electoral registration will be introduced in Great Britain.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that since 2 March 2009 its staff have attended three meetings with Ministry of Justice officials to discuss the introduction of individual electoral registration (IER) in Great Britain. In addition, the Chair of the Commission, Jenny Watson, has discussed the Government's proposals with the Minister of State for Justice, right hon. Michael Wills MP.

Political Parties: Finance

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 84W, on political parties: finance, what the timetable is for the completion of a final impact assessment.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that on 2 April 2009 it announced that, following detailed discussions with parties, it has decided not to introduce mandatory new standard requirements for party statements of accounts in 2010, as originally planned.
	The Commission has said that it will continue to develop proposals for mandatory requirements and will liaise with the parties to develop a new timetable for this project. It will issue an impact assessment when it consults on the detail of its proposals. A copy of the Commission's statement has been placed in the Library of the House.

Redundancy Pay

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 935-6W, on redundancy, whether the redundancy payments exceeded the minimum amounts which the Electoral Commission was obliged to pay by statute.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that redundancy payments are made in accordance with the Civil Service Compensation Scheme. Payments under the scheme exceed the minimum statutory amounts.

Bluetongue Disease: Vaccination

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department has placed an order for supplies of blue tongue vaccine BTV1.

Jane Kennedy: No orders have been placed for supplies of BTV-1 vaccine. DEFRA continues to closely monitor the disease situation in Europe and are working with experts and vaccine manufacturers to consider possible disease incursion scenarios so we are able to deploy proportionate responses if the threat of a BTV-1 disease incursion increases significantly.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will consider the merits of culling badgers in England to reduce levels of bovine tuberculosis in the English herd; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State (Hilary Benn) has considered the wide range of evidence surrounding the role badger culling could play in the control of bovine TB and he announced the Government's policy on 7 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 1153-1158.
	The policy is that no licences will be issued for culling badgers for the purpose of preventing the spread of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cattle, although the Government remain open to the possibility of revisiting this policy under exceptional circumstances, or if new scientific evidence were to become available.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for how long his Department has followed the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management programme.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA signed up to The Carbon Trusts Carbon Management Programme in October 2006. Since then, DEFRA has gained accreditation for its entire estate (core and executive agencies) to the Carbon Trust sponsored Energy Efficiency Accreditation Scheme in July 2007 and The Carbon Trust Standard for its office estate in June 2008.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff in his Department  (a) were disciplined and  (b) had their employment terminated as a result of a poor sickness record in each of the last 12-months.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Formal warning and dismissals for poor attendance are conducted in line with DEFRA's "Unsatisfactory Attendance Policy and Procedures" which are available to staff via DEFRA's intranet.
	During the past year (April 2008 to March 2009) 74 people have been disciplined and contracts with eight terminated as a result of poor sickness record within Core DEFRA and its Agencies.
	The following table breaks this down for each of the past 12-months.
	
		
			   Discipline  Termination 
			  2008:   
			 April 5 1 
			 May 7 0 
			 June 6 0 
			 July 9 1 
			 August 4 0 
			 September 6 0 
			 October 7 2 
			 November 6 1 
			 December 3 1 
			
			  2009:   
			 January 8 1 
			 February 7 1 
			 March 6 0 
			
			 Total 74 8

Departmental Official Hospitality

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on  (a) alcohol and  (b) food in each of the last five years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: From information held centrally, the Department's expenditure on food for the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2006-07 1,296,450.76 
			 2007-08 1,407,220.50 
			 April 2008 to February 2009 1,270,359.75 
		
	
	These figures are based upon a combined total expenditure on food and beverages, and the ratio of food to beverage is 55 per cent. to 45 per cent. A detailed analysis of the breakdown of the expenditure on food and beverages, and for each of the last five years, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The core-department's financial system has no expenditure category for alcohol. The core-department's catering services provider does not hold a license to serve alcohol. As a general rule, expenditure on alcohol for hospitality purposes is not allowed. Were alcohol to be purchased for hospitality purposes it should be acquired through formal purchase order, or through the Government Procurement Card, both of which methods are subject to formal authorisation procedures. All expenditure including that on hospitality has to be incurred in accordance with the principles of managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Public Consultation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what payments for  (a) polling and  (b) other services his Department has made to (i) Deborah Mattinson and (ii) Opinion Leader Research Ltd since 31 December 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The following table shows what payments DEFRA has made for polling and other services to Opinion Leader Research, co-owned by Deborah Martinson, since December 2007.
	
		
			   Project title  Total cost £ (ex VAT) 
			 2007-08 Public understanding of sustainable consumption of food 12,735 
			 2008-09 Citizens summit 7,500

Departmental Recruitment

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2009,  Official Report, column 913W, on departmental recruitment, what estimate he has made of the annual salary cost of  (a) permanent,  (b) temporary and  (c) agency staff recruited by his Department in each year since 2005-06.

Huw Irranca-Davies: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Salmonella

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the incidence of salmonella entering the food chain.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA continues to work with key industry representatives to implement EC Regulation 2160/2003 on the control of Salmonella in primary production. This provides for the establishment of Salmonella National Control
	Programmes (NCPs) in all sectors of the poultry and pig industry. The overall objective of the NCPs are to protect public health through the detection and control of Salmonellas of human health significance at the farm level. Regulation 2160/2003 sets a general framework for the NCPs which integrates:
	Minimum sampling requirements to verify the achievement of a reduction target.
	Relevant guides for good biosecurity and animal husbandry
	Measures to be taken following the detection of Salmonella of human health significance.
	Three of the NCPs have already been implemented in the UK: the NCP for breeding flocks in 2007 and the NCP for laying flocks in 2008. The NCP for broiler flocks began earlier this year. Similar programmes will be introduced for turkeys next year and then fattening and breeding pigs.
	DEFRA has been able to report to the EU Commission that the breeding flock sector has met the requirements of the NCP including the reduction target during the first year of implementation. The NCPs for the layer and broiler sectors should also meet their respective targets.
	Although DEFRA leads on the NCPs, the advice and agreement of Food Standards Agency (FSA) officials was sought when developing an implementation strategy for the NCPs in primary production with industry representatives. FSA officials will also be closely involved in the implementation of the NCPs for pigs and turkeys. DEFRA has also collaborated with the FSA on the provision of guidance to farmers on hygiene management at farms, measures to prevent infections and biosecurity during the transport of animals.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost to his Department has been of management of sites of special Scientific interest (SSSIs) in  (a) the last 10 years and  (b) 2009 to date; and what area of land SSSIs covered in each period.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 20 April 2009
	We have funding information for Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) covering the last nine financial years (2000-01 to 2008-09 inclusive). This information is routinely collated and confirmed at the end of each financial year. The costs cover the funding of SSSI management by DEFRA, including its resourcing of Natural England, the Environment Agency and the Forestry Commission. The costs also include Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) Agri-Environment schemes, but not the EU co-funded element.
	From 2000-01 to 2008-09 inclusive, the total cumulative cost of managing SSSIs was £339,895,000. During this period the SSSI area increased from 1,053,796 ha in 2000 to 1,077,086 ha in 2009. The total costs for the 2008-09 year are awaiting confirmation and collation, but we estimate these will be £56,750,000. We do not currently have this aggregated information broken down by quarter to specifically address the January to March 2009 period.

Squirrels

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made on controlling the grey squirrel population since 2005.

Huw Irranca-Davies: "Grey Squirrels and England's Woodlands: Policy and Action" was published in January 2006 and this set out the role of the Forestry Commission and specific actions to be taken. These include researching new methods of control, advice on best practice, grants for woodland owners, supporting partnerships and applying best practice on the public forest estate. Implementation of the actions has resulted, for example, in collaboration on research into the potential use of immuno-contraception as a method for population control of grey squirrels. This is part of a larger Delta-led project looking at proving the concept of fertility control methods for a range of species.
	Grant schemes administered by the Forestry Commission, specifically for the control of grey squirrels and woodland management activities, in and around the designated red squirrel reserves in north England, totalled £265,384 between 2006-07 and 2008-09. On the public forest estate the Forestry Commission is concentrating its resources on its woodlands within the designated red squirrel reserves and surrounding buffer zones.
	Support of partnership and co-operative action has seen support worth £26,000 a year from the Forestry Commission and £15,000 a year from Natural England to the Save our Squirrels project. This is a £1.1 million three year project, started in 2006 to deliver advice to landowners, co-ordinating squirrel control in the red squirrel reserve buffer zones, promote grants, raising public awareness and gaining further funding for squirrel conservation work.
	In addition the Red Squirrel Protection Partnership, based in Northumberland was awarded a three year £148,000 grant in June 2006 from the Rural Enterprise Scheme to support the control of grey squirrels in the county to help protect the red squirrel reserves.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2223W, on waste disposal: fees and charges, what guidance  (a) his Department and  (b) the Waste and Resources Action Programme has given to waste collection authorities on the issuing or levying of fines on households which put waste out at times other than those specified by the local authority.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA does not advise authorities on how or when to use specific powers but, in line with good practice, it expects authorities to use all the powers available to them proportionately and sensibly, hand in hand with effective communications and support for residents.

Cancer: Health Services

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Cancer Reform Strategy in tackling cancer in its first year of operation.

Ann Keen: The first annual report of the Cancer Reform Strategy (published in 2007), "Cancer Reform Strategy: Maintaining momentum, building for the future—first annual report", was published on 1 December 2008. The report highlights the considerable progress that has been made on the implementation of the Strategy. A copy of this report has already been placed in the Library.
	We will assess the wider impact of the Cancer Reform Strategy by looking at its affect, and that of the NHS Cancer Plan (published in 2000), on mortality rates over an extended period. Mortality rates in people under 75 have fallen by 17 per cent. between 1996 and 2005. This performance means that we are expected to meet our target of a reduction of at least 20 per cent. in cancer death rates in people under 75 by 2010 from the 1995-97 baseline rate.

Clostridium: Elderly

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of clostridium difficile infection were reported in people aged 65 years and over in each NHS trust area in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not available as the mandatory surveillance scheme in which acute trusts report all cases of  clostridium difficile infection in people aged 65 years and over began in January 2004. These data comprise all specimens processed by NHS acute trust laboratories, not just those from in-patients and include infections acquired in hospital and elsewhere.
	Data for each trust for the calendar years 2004 to 2007 are published on the Health
	Protection Agency's website at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1216193834915
	The annual totals for England are:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2004 44,563 
			 2005 51,829 
			 2006 55,635 
			 2007 50,461 
		
	
	It should be noted that data are no longer published by calendar year. Data up to financial year 2008-09 will be available in July 2009.

Hospitals: Infections

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of mandatory screening for  (a) clostridium difficile and  (b) other superbug infections.

Ann Keen: The available evidence does not suggest that screening of patients without symptoms of intestinal infection for Clostridium difficile would be clinically effective, as patients without symptoms are not considered to present an increased risk of infecting others. As set out in current guidance, all those aged 65 years or over in hospital with diarrhoea should be tested for C. difficile and other patients tested as clinically indicated. This will ensure the infection is identified quickly and appropriate measures are taken to treat the patient and minimise infection of other patients.
	From 1 April 2009, the national health service has been screening all relevant patients for methicillin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) before planned operations. This will help the NHS reduce the chances of patients getting an MRSA infection, or passing MRSA onto another patient but it is too early to assess the efficacy of screening. There are no other national screening programmes for health care associated infections.

NHS

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which  (a) NHS hospitals,  (b) primary care trusts,  (c) strategic health authorities and  (d) general practice surgeries (i) he and (ii) each other Minister in his Department has visited since 27 June 2007.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Nurses: Pensions

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of retired nurses have had their pension payments  (a) reduced and  (b) increased in the last 12 months; and for what reason in each case.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not available centrally. NHS Pensions holds individual membership records to enable the actual calculation of pension benefits; to take place and to support periodical actuarial investigations by the scheme actuary. Pension benefits may change for a variety of reasons such as pensions increase review, re-employment, abatement, or the adjustment of the guaranteed minimum pension (GMP) element. It is not possible to specifically identify subsequent reductions or increases to pension benefits or the reason for each change. With reference to reductions in pension payments for all NHS Pensioners in relation to GMP, I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Mr. O'Brien) on 31 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1107W.

Nurses: Vacancies

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the three-month vacancy rate was for nurses in each specialist groups in each year since 2004.

Ann Keen: The following tables give the three-month vacancy rates for each nurse speciality since 2004.
	
		
			  The Information Centre for health and social care Vacancies Survey March each year—NHS three-month vacancies in England for qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff, all areas of work 
			  Three month vacancy rates, numbers and staff in post 
			   All qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff  Acute, elderly and general care 
			   as at 31 March  as at 30 September  as at 31 March  as at 30 September 
			   3 month vacancy rate (%)  3 month vacancy number  Staff in post (full-time equivalent)  Staff in post (headcount)  3 month vacancy rate (%)  3 month vacancy number  Staff in post (full-time equivalent)  Staff in post (headcount) 
			 2008 0.5 1,565 307,628 376,737 0.5 864 168,912 205,601 
			 2007 0.5 1,695 307,447 374,538 0.5 887 169,284 204,112 
			 2006 0.9 2,884 307,744 381,257 0.8 1,415 168,759 205,611 
			 2005 1.9 5,801 301,877 375,371 1.7 2,917 166,098 203,358 
			 2004 2.6 7,508 291,925 364,692 2.2 3,501 162,671 201,184 
		
	
	
		
			  Three month vacancy rates, numbers and staff in post 
			   Paediatrics  Community learning disabilities 
			   as at 31 March  as at 30 September  as at 31 March  as at 30 September 
			   3 month vacancy rate (%)  3 month vacancy number  Staff in post (full-time equivalent)  Staff in post (headcount)  3 month vacancy rate (%)  3 month vacancy number  Staff in post (full-time equivalent)  Staff in post (headcount) 
			 2008 0.6 87 15,416 18,923 0.2 6 2,986 3,512 
			 2007 0.7 106 15,302 18,634 2.5 83 3,170 3,576 
			 2006 1.1 177 15,412 19,178 0.5 15 3,261 3,748 
			 2005 1.7 263 15,258 18,917 2.3 78 3,325 3,752 
			 2004 2.6 397 14,825 18,437 2.5 81 3,289 3,705 
		
	
	
		
			  Three month vacancy rates, numbers and staff in post 
			   Other learning disabilities  Community psychiatry 
			   as at 31 March  as at 30 September  as at 31 March  as at 30 September 
			   3 month vacancy rate (%)  3 month vacancy number  Staff in post (full-time equivalent)  Staff in post (headcount)  3 month vacancy rate (%)  3 month vacancy number  Staff in post (full-time equivalent)  Staff in post (headcount) 
			 2008 0.3 9 3,607 4,106 0.6 96 15,275 17,115 
			 2007 5.6 213 3,597 4,007 0.4 57 15,208 17,076 
			 2006 1.1 46 4,106 5,076 1.6 228 14,480 15,844 
			 2005 2.3 98 4,201 4,904 2.3 316 13,627 14,909 
			 2004 2.1 94 4,535 5,245 1.9 235 12,064 13,173 
		
	
	
		
			  Three month vacancy rates, numbers and staff in post 
			   Other psychiatry  Midwives 
			   as at 31 March  as at 30 September  as at 31 March  as at 30 September 
			   3 month vacancy rate (%)  3 month vacancy number  Staff in post (full-time equivalent)  Staff in post (headcount)  3 month vacancy rate (%)  3 month vacancy number  Staff in post (full-time equivalent)  Staff in post (headcount) 
			 2008 0.6 179 27,327 31,384 0.8 159 19,298 25,093 
			 2007 0.1 24 27,508 31,402 0.5 91 18,862 24,469 
			 2006 1.5 434 28,049 32,709 1.0 185 18,949 24,808 
			 2005 3.1 881 27,959 32,481 1.8 348 18,854 24,844 
			 2004 4.7 1,282 27,319 31,555 3.3 619 18,444 23,941 
		
	
	
		
			  Three month vacancy rates, numbers and staff in post 
			   District  n urses  Health  v isitors 
			   as at 31 March  as at 30 September  as at 31 March  as at 30 September 
			   3 month vacancy rate (%)  3 month vacancy number  Staff in post (full-time equivalent)  Staff in post (headcount)  3 month vacancy rate (%)  3 month vacancy number  Staff in post (full-time equivalent)  Staff in post (headcount) 
			 2008 0.2 21 8,814 10,779 0.3 29 9,056 11,569 
			 2007 0.5 45 9,180 11,270 0.2 23 9,376 12,034 
			 2006 0.7 67 9,706 12,067 0.6 60 9,809 12,818 
			 2005 1.8 186 10,000 12,827 2.1 218 10,137 13,303 
			 2004 2.3 241 10,496 13,292 3.2 324 9,999 12,984 
		
	
	
		
			  Three month vacancy rates, numbers and staff in post 
			   Qualified  school nurses  Other qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 
			   as at 31 March  as at 30 September  as at 31 March  as at 30 September 
			   3 month vacancy rate (%)  3 month vacancy number  Staff in post (full-time equivalent)  Staff in post (headcount)  3 month vacancy rate (%)  3 month vacancy number  Staff in post (full-time equivalent)  Staff in post (headcount) 
			 2008 0.4 10 2,232 3,162 0.3 105 34,705 45,493 
			 2007 0.4 7 2,053 2,968 0.5 159 33,908 44,990 
			 2006 0.6 12 1,913 2,887 0.7 245 33,299 46,511 
			 2005 1.9 31 1,619 2,409 1.5 465 30,800 43,667 
			 2004 2.2 40 797 1,188 2.7 693 27,485 39,988 
			  Three month vacancy notes: 1. Vacancy data is from the Vacancies Survey. 2. Three month vacancy information is as at 31 March each specified year. 3. Three month vacancies are vacancies which Trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (full time equivalents). 4. Three month Vacancy Rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post. 5. Three month Vacancy Rates are calculated using staff in post from the Non-Medical Workforce Census September each previous year. 6. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.  General notes: 1. Vacancy and staff in post numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number. 2. Calculating the vacancy rates using the above data may not equal the actual vacancy rates.  Sources: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Vacancies survey. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce census.

Quality Health Ltd.

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what dates meetings took place between Ministers of his Department and representatives of Quality Health Ltd. in the last 12 months; which Ministers attended each meeting; whether minutes were kept of each meeting; and what other communications his Department has had with Quality Health Ltd. during that period.

Ben Bradshaw: No meetings between Ministers and Quality Health Ltd. have taken place in the last 12 months.
	Quality Health Ltd. has a relationship with the Department acting in its capacity as a sub-contractor to Northgate Information Solutions Ltd., the company awarded in February 2009 a three-year contract to support the implementation of the Department's Patient Reported Outcome Measures programme.
	During mobilisation of the Patient Reported Outcome Measures programme, Departmental officials have had a significant volume of communications with Quality Health Ltd. either directly or indirectly, in writing, in person and by telephone over the period in question.
	Prior to contract award, communications have taken place as part of the normal procurement process. These communications were no different to those had with all bidders. Communications have included a Quality Health Ltd. representative attending Market Information Day events to which potential bidders were invited, and Quality Health Ltd. representatives also attending formal interviews in their capacity as a member of the short-listed bidder's bid team.
	Direct communications have also taken place in relation to implementation of the Patient Reported Outcome Measures programme. Communications began once Northgate Information Solutions Ltd. were notified of their status as preferred bidder and had decided to work towards implementation ahead of contract signature at their own risk.
	On 3 March 2009, subsequent to contract signature, a camera crew contracted to Quality Health Ltd. recorded an interview with my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Lord Darzi) to form part of a training video about: Patient Reported Outcome Measures.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Greater London

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were diagnosed with a sexually-transmitted infection in each London health trust area in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: Data on the number of diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics is only available by strategic health authority (SHA). The following table gives the number of diagnoses of STIs in GUM in the London SHA between 2003 and 2007, the latest year for which figures are available.
	
		
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 New STI diagnoses(1) 90,791 92,014 89,823 89,704 96,223 
			 Other STI diagnoses(1) 68,954 73,072 76,386 72,652 79,607 
			 Total STI diagnoses 159,745 165,086 166,209 162,356 175,830 
			 (1) Includes diagnoses defined the in notes 5 and 6 to the following table  Notes: 1. The data available from the KC60 statutory returns are for diagnoses made in GUM clinics only. Diagnoses made in other clinical settings, such as General Practice, are not recorded in the KC60 dataset. 2. The data available from the KC60 statutory returns are the number of diagnoses made, not the number of patients diagnosed. 3. The information provided has been adjusted for missing clinic data.  4. Data are unavailable for 2008. 5. New STI diagnoses include: Chlamydial infection (uncomplicated and complicated), Gonorrhoea (uncomplicated and complicated), Infectious syphilis, Genital Herpes, simplex (first attack), Genital warts (first attack), New HIV diagnosis, Non-specific genital infection (uncomplicated and complicated), Chancroid/lymphogranuloma venerum (LGV)/Donovanosis, Molluscum contagiosum, Trichomoniasis, Scabies, Pediculus pubis. 6. Other STI diagnoses include: Early latent, congenital and other acquired syphilis, Recurrent genital Herpes simplex, Recurrent and re-registered genital warts, Subsequent HIV presentations (including AIDS), Ophthalmia neonatorum (chamydial or gonococcal), Epidemiological treatment of suspected STIs (syphilis, Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, non-specific genital infection).  Source: Health Protection Agency, KC60 returns 
		
	
	In addition to STIs diagnosed in GUM clinics, the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) provides Chlamydia screening to asymptomatic people under the age of 25 years of age in England. The NCSP was launched in 2003, when a phased implementation started. The following table shows the number of diagnoses made of Chlamydia in patients between the ages of 15-24 years between 1 April 2003 and 31 December 2008 London Primary Care Trusts (PCTs).
	
		
			  Area  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 0 (1)— (1)— 16 26 284 
			 Barnet PCT 10 10 30 37 71 154 
			 Bexley PCT 0 11 22 31 32 254 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 6 11 83 121 110 175 
			 Bromley PCT 0 53 77 83 87 237 
			 Camden PCT 53 99 105 126 149 170 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 13 15 32 30 263 402 
			 Croydon PCT 0 35 51 92 102 296 
			 Ealing PCT (1)— (1)— 14 46 24 94 
			 Enfield PCT 0 19 135 134 121 166 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 0 63 66 97 98 465 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT (1)— 5 16 38 33 54 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 9 21 66 80 150 169 
			 Harrow PCT 0 (1)— 77 69 98 127 
			 Havering PCT 0 0 14 46 33 127 
			 Hillingdon PCT (1)— (1)— 19 40 30 150 
			 Hounslow PCT (1)— (1)— 10 28 63 106 
			 Islington PCT 50 115 84 101 141 221 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT (1)— 8 9 26 20 49 
			 Kingston PCT 0 0 11 17 19 81 
			 Lambeth PCT (1)— 232 373 535 572 621 
			 Lewisham PCT (1)— 611 730 859 881 1,025 
			 Newham PCT (1)— 11 9 29 28 335 
			 Redbridge PCT (1)— (1)— 15 24 33 248 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT (1)— 0 (1)— 18 38 68 
			 Southwark PCT (1)— 333 415 582 691 713 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 0 (1)— 20 82 46 165 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT (1)— 8 19 28 103 274 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 7 (1)— 11 32 40 247 
			 Wandsworth PCT (1)— 7 38 71 55 122 
			 Westminster PCT 6 20 21 35 44 69 
			
			 London SHA 185 1,711 2,580 3,553 4,201 7,668 
			 (1) Cell size of 1 to 4 has been masked to protect deductive disclosure in accordance with Office of National Statistics guidelines.  Notes: 1. The NCSP has been phased in since 2003 with all 152 PCTs reporting data to the programme since March 2008. Therefore note that numbers of diagnoses have risen substantially as an increasing proportion of the target population have been tested. 2. NSCP data are presented by PCT of residence. 3. The data from the NCSP Core Dataset are for Chlamydia screens conducted within the NCSP outside of GUM clinics only. 4. The data available from the NCSP are the number of diagnoses made and not the number of patients diagnosed. 5. Data includes Chlamydia tests for males, females, and those with unknown/unspecified sex. 6. Data presented are based on tests with confirmed positive diagnoses only.  Source: National Chlamydia Screening Programme Core Dataset

Alcoholic Drinks: Fines

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fines were levied for consuming alcohol in a designated public place in each police force area in each year since 1997; what the average fine in each year was; and what percentage of fines were unpaid.

Alan Campbell: The number of fines issued in court and the average fine amount, in all police force areas, from 2002 (earliest available) to 2007 (latest available) are given in the table. The data for unpaid fines are not broken down by offence but the national payment rate for all financial penalties imposed by the courts in 2007-08 was 95per cent.
	The data in the table do not include penalty notice for disorder (PNDs). The number of PNDs issued for failure to comply with a requirement by a constable within a Designated Public Place Order are as follows: 485 in 2004, 712 in 2005, 1,061 in 2006 and 1,544 in 2007.
	
		
			  Number of fines issued and average fine amount by police force area (PFA) for drinking in a designated public place( 1) , 2002-07 
			  £ 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			  PFA  Fines issued  Average fine  Fines issued  Average fine  Fines issued  Average fine  Fines issued  Average fine  Fines issued  Average fine  Fines issued  Average fine 
			 Avon and Somerset 1 60.00 2 30.00 4 42.50 1 10.00 3 41.67 4 96.25 
			 Bedfordshire 2 42.50 12 26.67 2 40.00 9 31.67 5 40.00 4 57.50 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 1 50.00 1 50.00 
			 Cheshire 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 1 50.00 
			 Cleveland 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 5 85.00 6 66.67 
			 Cumbria 1 30.00 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 1 50.00 0 n/a 
			 Derbyshire 0 n/a 0 n/a 1 100.00 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1 30.00 4 51.25 4 32.50 3 23.33 0 n/a 0 n/a 
			 Dorset 1 50.00 0 n/a 1 100.00 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 1 75.00 0 n/a 0 n/a 
			 Essex 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 1 50.00 
			 Gloucestershire 0 n/a 1 25.00 2 20.00 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 
			 Greater Manchester 1 50.00 1 20.00 4 45.00 3 123.33 0 n/a 1 50.00 
			 Gwent 0 n/a 0 n/a 4 107.50 0 n/a 6 37.50 3 83.33 
			 Hampshire 0 n/a 0 n/a 1 50.00 0 n/a 1 100.00 1 80.00 
			 Humberside 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 1 50.00 
			 Kent 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 
			 Lancashire 0 n/a 3 43.33 2 35.00 1 100.00 0 n/a 0 n/a 
			 Leicestershire 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 2 45.00 0 n/a 0 n/a 
			 Merseyside 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 4 50.00 3 58.33 
			 Metropolitan Police 11 48.18 23 (2)40.00 13 40.38 12 72.92 10 45.50 5 49.00 
			 Norfolk 0 n/a 7 25.71 2 22.50 2 50.00 2 30.00 4 58.75 
			 North Wales 1 30.00 0 n/a 2 75.00 2 75.00 1 50.00 3 60.00 
			 Northumbria 1 50.00 2 105.00 3 76.67 8 62.50 3 50.00 9 50.00 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 1 40.00 2 47.50 
			 South Wales 0 n/a 0 n/a 1 50.00 0 n/a 1 100.00 0 n/a 
			 South Yorkshire 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 1 75.00 2 37.50 
			 Staffordshire 0 n/a 3 25.33 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 
			 Suffolk 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 2 52.50 
			 Sussex 1 50.00 1 20.00 5 55.00 6 43.33 7 37.14 4 37.50 
			 Thames Valley 0 n/a 9 40.00 18 44.17 5 55.00 5 54.00 3 58.33 
			 West Mercia 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 5 118.00 
			 West Midlands 0 n/a 3 43.33 8 53.13 7 65.00 2 27.50 11 50.91 
			 West Yorkshire 0 n/a 1 20.00 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 
			 Wiltshire 0 n/a 0 n/a 1 50.00 1 75.00 0 n/a 0 n/a 
			 Total 21 45.95 72 37.17 78 49.94 63 58.57 59 48.98 76 60.92 
			 n/a = Not applicable (1) Under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 which came into force on 1 September 2001, there were no offenders sentenced in 2001. (2) Excludes one fine amount which exceeds the statutory maximum and may be erroneous.  Notes: 1. Where a PFA does not appear in the list there have been no offenders fined in any of the years listed. 2. These data are presented on the principle offence basis. 3. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. 4. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source: OMS Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department has adopted the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office has joined the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme. This is providing us technical and change management support to help us realise savings in carbon emissions.

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken by  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies to improve the thermal efficiency of their buildings in the last 12 months.

Phil Woolas: The Department is committed to the Sustainable Operations on the Government (SOGE) targets which include a requirement to reduce absolute carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency per m2 and a mandated action to apply the building research establishments environmental assessment method (BREEAM) to all new build and major refurbishment projects.
	In the last 12 months a range of activities have been undertaken across the estate as part of refurbishment projects which will improve thermal efficiency of buildings, including installation of double glazing at an Identity and Passport Service office in Liverpool and upgrading of thermostatic controls to improve efficiency in certain buildings on the UK Border Agency (UKBA) estate in Croydon. In addition, our newest office building, Vulcan house, a UKBA property was Sheffield's first BREEAM excellent rated building. It has a range of measures integrated into the design and construction to optimise thermal efficiency including setting the orientation to mitigate the effects of solar gain, building fabric insulation and a thermally efficient envelope including a vegetation roof that acts as a thermal barrier in both winter and summer. We will continue to employ these innovative and effective design methods to maximise thermal efficiency in future construction projects.
	The Department has recently signed up to the Carbon Trust Management Programme which will assist us in identifying opportunities to further improve efficiency on our existing estate.

Departmental Recycling

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much and what proportion of its waste her Department recycled in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Phil Woolas: Central Government Departments and their executive agencies are required to report performance data on the proportion of waste recycled on their office estate annually as part of the Sustainable Development in Government (SDiG) reporting process. The latest assessment of Government's performance against these targets was published by the Sustainable Development Commission on 12 December 2008
	http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/sdig2008/
	We reported 44 per cent. and 25 per cent. of waste was recycled in 2006-07 and 2007-08 respectively. Direct comparisons between these two years cannot be easily drawn as the data was extrapolated across the estate using a very small sample of UK Border Agency buildings plus Home Office headquarters. We are currently seeking a rebaselining of our data to a period with more representative and comprehensive data.
	The figures for Home Office Headquarters on its own for 2006-07 and 2007-08 are as follows:
	
		
			   Waste recycled tonnes)  Percentage of total waste recycled 
			 2006-07 224.40 45 
			 2007-08 224.56 49

Departmental Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff in her Department  (a) were disciplined and  (b) had their employment terminated as a result of a poor sickness record in each of the last 12-months.

Phil Woolas: Staff with a poor sickness absence record are managed under attendance management policies operated within Home Office Headquarters, the UK Border Agency (UKBA), the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), and the Identity and Passport Service (IPS).
	During the period 1 March 2008—28 February 2009, a total of 357 members of staff within Home Office HQ and UKBA were disciplined short of dismissal under attendance management policies. A breakdown by month is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of Home Office HQ and UKBA staff disciplined short of dismissal under attendance management procedures 
			   Staff disciplined short of dismissal 
			 March 2008 45 
			 April 2008 33 
			 May 2008 33 
			 June 2008 29 
			 July 2008 30 
			 August 2008 29 
			 September 2008 20 
			 October 2008 30 
			 November 2008 38 
			 December 2008 21 
			 January 2009 33 
			 February 2009 16 
			 Total 357 
		
	
	During the same period a total of 37 members of staff within Home Office HQ and UKBA were dismissed under attendance management policies. A further breakdown by month has been withheld from the answer as in most cases there were fewer than five dismissals in each month.
	The Identity and Passport Service issued 249 formal disciplinary warnings, and dismissed 25 members staff under its Managing attendance policy during the period 1 March 2008—28 February 2009. The figure for the number of warnings issued is the total number of all disciplinary warnings issued (short of dismissal), rather than the number of people who were disciplined short of dismissal. This information, along with a breakdown of the figures by month, could only be provided at a disproportionate cost by carrying out a detailed manual review of the statistics.
	IPS figures also exclude General Register Office (GRO) staff as GRO data has not yet been migrated to the IPS HR system. The information requested could only therefore be obtained using manual methods which would incur disproportionate cost.
	Less than five members of CRB staff have been dismissed under Sickness Absence Management policies during the last 12-months; further information on those cases is therefore withheld on confidentiality grounds. Information on the number of CRB staff disciplined short of dismissal is not held centrally.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign students were prosecuted for breach of the work conditions of their visa in 2008.

Phil Woolas: The system used by the UK Border Agency to record data relating to prosecutions for immigration offences (including those found working in breach of their conditions) does not categorise individuals by the nature of their stay in the UK. To establish the number of foreign students prosecuted for this offence, therefore, would require the examination ofindividual records at disproportionate cost.
	It should be noted, however, that the UK Border Agency would normally seek to remove an individual under such circumstances, rather than to prosecute them, as the former presents a more cost effective alternative

Essex Police Authority

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 2254-5W, on Essex Police Authority, when she plans to write to the hon. Member for Southend West; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: I wrote to the hon. Gentleman on 20 April 2009.

Immigration

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been granted leave to remain on the grounds of at least 14 years continuous residence in the UK in each year since 2004.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 2 April 2009
	The following table shows the number of main applicants (excluding dependants) granted indefinite leave to remain on the grounds of 14 years long residency each year since 2004.
	
		
			   Main applicants 
			 2005 725 
			 2006 820 
			 2007 815 
			 2008 910 
			 2009 305 
			 Total 4,430 
			  Notes: 1. 2009 figures are for a partial year—1 January to 30 March. 2. The figures quoted are not provided under national statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. 3. The individual figures and total have been rounded to the nearest five.

Immigration: Manpower

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 1 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1264W, on immigration: manpower, how much of the £6.7 million paid by her Department to private companies for the period 2007-08 was allocated to  (a) staffing and  (b) other costs.

Phil Woolas: Payments made to third party suppliers for goods and services provided are not, with the exception of agency staff costs, recorded in the accounts as staff or pay costs. They are classified as either non-pay or capital expenditure. The £6.7 million paid to French private companies in 2007-08 is recorded as:
	(i) Non pay - £6.6 million
	(ii) Capital - £0.1 million

Members: Correspondence

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a reply will be sent to the right hon. Member for Rotherham's letter sent on 22 February 2009, on whether Mr. Ismail Kamal Edirise was deported or removed from the United Kingdom to Germany after his detention in 2007.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 19 March 2009
	The UK Border Agency wrote to the hon. Member on 19 March 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight, reference CTS: M1893818, sent on behalf of a constituent; and when she plans to reply to that constituent.

Phil Woolas: The letter from the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight, reference M1893818, was answered on 18 October 2008. I am sending a copy of this letter to the hon. Member. The full response to the constituent referred to within that letter will be sent this month (April 2009), and a copy will also be sent to the hon. Member.

Offenders: Personal Records

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the statement of 10 January 2007,  Official Report, column 285, on the criminal records backlog, how many of the paper records of crimes committed by British citizens in other EU member states had been entered on the Police National Computer at the latest date for which figures are available; how many of the subjects of such records were convicted of an offence in the period between the receipt of their record by her Department and its entry on the Police National Computer; and for which offences those individuals were convicted.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 26 February 2009
	The paper records concerned contained some 22,000 notifications relating to UK citizens who had been convicted abroad. Of these notifications 1,722 offenders had committed offences equivalent to non-recordable offences in the UK and as such their details would only have been entered on the Police National Computer (PNC) where they accompanied a recordable offence. All the other notifications have been input on the PNC where a suitable matching UK offence exists.
	We would only be able to obtain information relating to how many of the subjects of such notifications were convicted of an offence between receipt of their notification and the entry of the record onto the PNC, and the offences for which those individuals were convicted, by individually interrogating those subjects' records on the PNC. We are therefore unable to provide this on cost grounds.

Overseas Visitors: Uganda

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Ugandan citizens visited the UK in the last 12 months.

Phil Woolas: The latest available statistics on the number of Ugandan nationals given leave to enter the United Kingdom as visitors are for 2007 are given in the following table. Data for 2008 are scheduled for publication in August 2009.
	The information shown is based on landing card information and may include the same individuals more than once if they visited the United Kingdom on multiple occasions in the period.
	Statistics on passengers given leave to enter the United Kingdom by purpose of journey and nationality are published annually in table 2.3 of the Home Office publications 'Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom' which are available in the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/hosb1008.pdf
	Table 2.3 gives details of other reasons that Ugandan nationals entered the UK each year
	
		
			  Ugandan nationals given leave to enter the United Kingdom by purpose of journey, 2007( 1,2) 
			  Passengers admitted, by purpose of journey  Number of journeys 
			 Total admitted 15,600 
			  of which:  
			 Visitors 6,680 
			  of which:  
			 Ordinary 4,990 
			 Business 1,680 
			 (1) May understate due to some administrative records on non-EEA nationals being unavailable for statistical analysis. (2) Provisional.  Note: Data rounded to 3 significant figures so may not sum to the total.

Sexual Offences

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding has been provided by central government for  (a) sexual assault referral centres and  (b) rape crisis centres in each of the last five years, broken down by constituency; and how much funding was provided for such centres located in (i) rural and (ii) urban areas.

Jacqui Smith: Based on the best available information, the approximated total of grants awarded to sexual assault referral centres for each of the last five years is set out in table 1:
	
		
			  Table 1 
			   Source  Total (£) 
			 2004-05 Home Office SARC Funding 310,000 
			 2005-06 Home Office SARC Funding 709,000 
			 2006-07 Home Office SARC Funding 620,000 
			 2007-08 Home Office SARC Funding 805,000 
			 2008-09 Home Office SARC Funding 663,000 
		
	
	The information provided is not available broken down by constituency level or by rural or urban areas and to do so would incur disproportionate costs.
	The Government have provided funding to rape crisis centres in a variety of ways over the past five years including core funding to the national umbrella organisation, Rape Crisis England and Wales and its predecessors body, as well as funding for Independent Sexual Violence Advisers—a number of which are based in rape crisis centres.
	Based on the best available evidence, the approximated total of central Government grants to rape crisis centres awarded from the Victims' Fund, Home Office funding for Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) and the Special Fund to Rape Crisis Centres, for each of the last five years is set out in table 2:
	
		
			  Table  2 
			   Source  Total (£) 
			 2004-05 Victim's Fund 199,270 
			 2005-06 Victim's Fund 543,607 
			 2006-07 Victim's Fund and Home Office (ISVA) funding 631,038 
			 2007-08 Victim's Fund and Home Office (ISVA) funding 862,315 
			 2008-09 Victim's Fund, Home Office (ISVA) funding and special fund 1,744,089 
		
	
	This information is not available broken down by constituency level or by rural or urban areas and to do so would incur disproportionate costs.

Students: Loans

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many graduates he estimates will complete the repayment of their student loans in the next  (a) three months,  (b) six months and  (c) 12-months.

David Lammy: The information requested is not available.
	The Statistical First Release Student Loans for Higher Education in England, Financial Year 2007-08 (Provisional) includes figures of borrowers who have fully repaid loans in the last three years. This document is published by the Student Loans Company and available on the SLC website at:
	www.slc.co.uk/pdf/slcsfr022008.pdf

Criminal Justice Act 1996: Convictions

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were  (a) prosecuted and  (b) convicted for an offence under sections 139 and 139A of the Criminal Justice Act 1996 in 2007; and on how many occasions the maximum sentence of imprisonment was imposed.

Maria Eagle: Information showing the number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty, sentenced, and sentenced to immediate custody at all courts for offences under sections 139 and 139A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (as amended by the Offensive Weapons Act 1996) and under section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 in England and Wales in 2007 are shown in the table.
	The statutory maximum penalty is reserved generally for the worst of cases for which it is prescribed and therefore rarely imposed. This is true across all types of offences.
	If it was found that the courts were sentencing at, or near, the maximum for any offence with any degree of frequency this would cause us to look at the maximum penalty to see if it were set high enough to cater for the cases coming before the courts. It is likely that the courts would draw our attention to any such cases and indicate that they did not consider that their powers were sufficient.
	More offenders are being sent to jail for the number of offences resulting in immediate custody rose from 1,125 in the last quarter of 2007 to 1,386 in the same period of 2008. On average there was a 40 per cent. increase in the number of prisoners serving a sentence for possession of an offensive weapon between the same periods.
	Fewer cautions being issued: the number fell 31 per cent. over the same period (1,706 in the last quarter of 2008 compared to 2,455 in the same period of 2007).
	
		
			  Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty, sentenced, sentenced to immediate custody and given the maximum custodial sentence at all courts for offences under sections 139 and 139A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and section 1 of the 1953 Prevention of Crime Act, England and Wales, 2007( 1,2) 
			  Offence  Statute  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Total sentenced  Number sentenced to immediate custody  Given the maximum determinate custodial sentence 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse. Prevention of Crime Act 1953 Sec. 1(1) as amended by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.2(1). 7,702 5,636 5,585 852 0 
			
			 Having an article with blade or point in public place. Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139 as amended by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S3. 7,356 6,123 6,121 1,060 (3)2 
			
			 Having an article with blade or point on school premises. Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139A (1)(5)(a) as added by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.4(1). 48 46 45 5 0 
			
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises. Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139A (2)(5)(b) as added by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.4(1). 33 27 26 1 0 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) The maximum determinate sentence for possessing an article with a blade or point in a public place or at school was changed from two to four years by the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 for offences committed on or after 12 February 2007. Data held on the Ministry Courts Proceeding Database does not identify the date the offence was committed so it cannot be determined which maximum sentence offenders would have been eligible for. The maximum used here is two years. No offenders received a four year custodial sentence.  Source: Evidence and Analysis Unit—Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

Departmental Buildings

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what  (a) grade II,  (b) grade II* and  (c) grade I listed buildings have been owned by his Department in each of the last three years.

Shahid Malik: Information relating to grade listed buildings within the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) estate are as follows:
	 MOJ HQ
	MOJ HQ has only one listed building, Gwydyr House, which is Grade II* listed. The ownership of Gwydyr House pre-dates April 2006.
	 Her Majesty's Prison Service (HMPS)
	HMPS have provided a document detailing all listed buildings and monuments they own and their location. The information includes specific details of exactly which part of each building or monument is listed. There are examples of buildings that have several separate listings and are graded differently. This information has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS)
	HMCS have provided a schedule of Ancient Monuments and schedules of Grade I listed buildings, Grade II listed buildings and Grade II* listed buildings. All information provided is of buildings where ownership pre-dates April 2006. This information has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Tribunal Service
	The Tribunal Service has two listed buildings; 52 Melville Street, Edinburgh which is graded B (the Scottish equivalent to Grade II) and 14 East Parade, Sheffield which is also Grade II listed. Both buildings pre-date April 2006 in terms of ownership.
	 National Offender Management Service (non-custodial)
	NOMS do not hold this information centrally and to obtain would require undertaking an investigation which would incur a disproportionate cost.

Home Detention Curfews: Greater London

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners were released from each prison in London under home detention curfew orders in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The following table shows the number of prisoners released under the Home Detention Curfew scheme from prison establishments in London in each month in 2007, which is the latest year for which the data is available.
	
		
			   Belmarsh  Brixton  Feltham  Holloway  Latchmere House  Pentonville  Wormwood Scrubs  Wandsworth 
			 All 2007 70 30 * 110 * 60 160 40 
			 January 2007 10 * 0 10 0 10 10 * 
			 February 2007 * * 0 10 0 10 10 * 
			 March 2007 10 0 * 20 0 * 20 * 
			 April 2007 10 * 0 10 0 10 10 * 
			 May 2007 10 * 0 10 0 10 10 * 
			 June 2007 10 * 0 10 0 * 20 10 
			 July 2007 10 10 0 * 0 10 10 * 
			 August 2007 * * 0 10 0 10 10 * 
			 September 2007 10 * 0 10 0 * 10 * 
			 October 2007 * 0 0 10 * 10 10 * 
			 November 2007 10 * * 10 * 10 20 * 
			 December 2007 * * * 10 0 * 20 10 
			  Note: Figures rounded to the nearest 10; '*' indicates number of releases is fewer than 5 (but not 0). 
		
	
	The Home Detention Curfew scheme enables suitable prisoners primarily serving between three months and less than four years to be released subject to an electronically monitored curfew up to 135 days earlier than the half way point of their sentence. The scheme has been very successful in providing prisoners with a smoother and more effective re-integration into the community enabling prisoners to be released from prison early, while still subject to restrictions placed on their liberty. HDC helps prisoners resume employment or training at an earlier stage and so support themselves and their families.
	The decision to grant release on HDC rests with the Governor and eligible prisoners must pass a risk assessment, which includes an assessment of home circumstances carried out by the probation service, before release can be granted.
	Prisoners subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and those serving extended sentences for public protection are statutorily excluded from release on HDC. Offenders serving sentences for certain serious violent offences, including prisoners serving sentences for terrorism legislation offences and prisoners with any history of sexual offending are presumed unsuitable unless there are exceptional circumstances.
	No prisoners are released on HDC unless they have served at least one quarter of their sentence subject to a minimum of 30 days in custody. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing, and have therefore been rounded to the nearest 10.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his latest estimate is of his Department's capital expenditure in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10,  (c) 2010-11 and  (d) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Capital DEL (departmental expenditure limits) for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 were set at the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review. The latest Capital DEL tables, including figures for the Northern Ireland Office, Eire published on page 214 of the pre-Budget report in November 2008:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk
	The Government have not set departments' Capital DEL budgets for years beyond 2010-11. Capital DEL budgets for 2011-12 and beyond are a matter for the next spending review. The Government do, however, publish projections for PSNI (Public Sector Net Investment) over the forecast period at Budgets and pre-Budget reports.

China

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2009,  Official Report, column 735W, on China, what the cost was of civil servant and special adviser support during his visit to China.

Ann McKechin: The travel and accommodation costs recorded are £12,793.36.

High Speed Trains

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the letter which he placed in the Library from the Permanent Secretary of his Department to a director of High Speed Two Limited of 14 January 2009, if he will place in the Library a copy of the programme of anticipated expenditure and breakdown of the costs of High Speed Two Limited.

Paul Clark: A breakdown of High Speed Two's proposed expenditure budget (up to the end of the financial year 2009-10) is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Total (including VAT) (£) 
			 Staff costs 2,654,458 
			 Board costs 209,226 
			 Facility costs 175,393 
			 Travel and Subsistence 38,500 
			 Admin costs 44,799 
			 Project costs and consultancy costs 3,944,500 
			 Total 7,066,876

Lighting

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2009,  Official Report, column 958W, on lighting, what guidance  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies has issued to local authorities on night-time street lighting and efficiency savings.

Paul Clark: It is for each local highway authority to decide what level of service they wish their street lighting network to deliver; and decisions on reducing the hours of operation will need to take into account the reasons for which the lighting was provided in the first place. Any reduction in energy use would have to be balanced against any potential adverse effects.
	Where local authorities are considering reducing operating hours, the Government encourage them to consider the issues in "Invest to Save", produced by the UK Lighting Board and the Institution of Lighting Engineers (available from www.ile.org.uk). The Government also supports the Carbon Trust's Local Authorities Carbon Management Programme, which provides councils with technical and change management support and guidance to help them realise carbon emissions savings from street lighting.

Roads: Birmingham

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding his Department has provided for highway maintenance and improvement in Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath constituency in the last three years for which figures is available.

Paul Clark: Birmingham city council is the local highway authority for the area covered by the Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath constituency. The funding support allocated to the authority by my Department for highway maintenance and improvements for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £000 
			   2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Capital highways maintenance 6,571 7,229 8,313 
			 Strengthening of structures on the primary route network 2,650 725 715 
			 Resource funding for maintenance of de-trunked roads 1,288 1,321 1,354 
		
	
	Birmingham city council are a partner in the joint West Midlands local transport plan (LTP). This LTP was allocated a road safety grant for the period 2008-09 to 2010-11. The details of the allocation are:
	
		
			  £000 
			   2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Road Safety capital grant 844.889 808.829 835.591 
			 Road Safety resource grant 3,797.355 3,635.286 3,755.563 
		
	
	It is for Birmingham city council to decide how their funding is spent in line with the authority's priorities.
	In addition, central funding support for services, including routine highways, is provided by Communities and local Government through the revenue support grant. This funding is not ring fenced.

Roads: Snow and Ice

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much salt was  (a) ordered and  (b) received by the Highways Agency from Salt Union in each week between 1 January and 16 February 2009;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library a copy of  (a) his Department's and  (b) the Highways Agency's correspondence on delivery plans and priorities with Salt Union which took place between 26 January and 9 February 2009;
	(3)  what assistance with salt supplies the Highways Agency provided to Gloucestershire County Council between 26 January and 9 February 2009;
	(4)  pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1102W, on roads: snow and ice, if he will place in the Library a copy of the advice issued daily to salt suppliers on each day between 26 January and 9 February 2009.

Paul Clark: holding answer 26 March 2009
	The Highways Agency's contracted service providers are responsible for delivery of the winter service on the strategic road network, including the purchase of road salt. The Highways Agency does not purchase salt directly and does not hold information on orders placed or salt received by its service providers.
	The central Government led advisory salt prioritisation process was based upon information provided by trunk road and local highway authorities on salt stocks, estimates of future usage derived from Met Office forecasts, and an assessment of the available market supply. The process involved officials from the Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat, the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Highways Agency, the Local Government Association and the Department for Transport.
	During the weekend of the 7 and 8 February 2009, one of the primary salt suppliers could not make deliveries due to drivers hours restrictions. The Highways Agency provided haulage to deliver 4,457 tonnes of salt to 55 local authorities in England, including 784 tonnes to Gloucestershire county council.
	Agreement was sought from the salt suppliers for the Department for Transport to provide the correspondence between them and the Department, covering delivery plans and priorities. We were requested not to provide any information which could identify named customers, as that information was considered to be commercial confidential. The following summary of advice provided on priorities for deliveries between 26 January and 9 February by Government to the salt suppliers therefore includes aggregated data only.
	
		
			  Date of advice  Delivery date  Number of local highways authorities suppliers advised as a priority for delivery( 1)  Number of national highways authorities suppliers advised as a priority for delivery( 2)  Total tonnage 
			 6 February 7 February 31 — 3,232 
			 6 February 7 February — 0 0 
			 7 February 8 February 22 — 1,377 
			 7 February 8 February — 9 2,737 
			 8 February 9 February 26 — 1,775 
			 8 February 9 February — 9 2,325 
			 9 February 10 February 38 — 3,925 
			 9 February 10 February — 3 1,075 
			 (1) Includes English and Welsh authorities. (2) Highway agencies advised deliveries are recorded as a separate location for each delivery. Scotland's deliveries were for the 9 February only and are recorded as a single entry for all locations. 
		
	
	The Department for Transport has invited the UK Roads Liaison Group to review the lessons learnt from the recent salt supply difficulties, including whether prioritisation arrangements could be improved, should it operate in the future. Gloucestershire county council are to be represented on the steering group for the review.

Asbestos

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many prosecutions the Health and Safety Executive has brought against local authorities in respect of incidents involving asbestos in each of the last three years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The number of prosecutions brought by the Health and Safety Executive against individual local authorities in respect of incidents involving asbestos in each of it's last three work years for which figures are available is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of prosecutions 
			 2005-06 2 
			 2006-07 0 
			 2007-08 4 
		
	
	For the six authorities prosecuted, more than one charge was brought in every case. A total of 14 separate charges resulting in a conviction with one finding of not guilty.

Citibank

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2009,  Official Report, column 861W, on departmental bank services, what the  (a) purpose and  (b) monetary value is of the contract between his Department and Citibank.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department's contract with Citibank is for the payment of pensions and benefits to customers living overseas.
	The value of the contract is commercially confidential.

Directgov

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of directgov as a vehicle for digital inclusion.

Jonathan R Shaw: Directgov is currently engaged in a number of digital inclusion activities that through feedback and evaluation will help inform its longer term strategy in this area.
	Directgov are working with intermediaries who can offer mediated access to those that are currently digitally excluded, starting with the nine major regional UK online centres across the UK. UK online centre staff will encourage customers to use Directgov, and will guide new users through the process. Once they have completed their initial use of Directgov, users will be invited to complete an online survey. This will allow Directgov to collect information on new users' experiences with Directgov so that we can continue to improve the customer experience.
	Research has shown that Directgov's TV service on Sky and Virgin increases reach to the socially excluded citizen. Viewers of Directgov's interactive television are older (69 per cent. over 35; 47 per cent. over 45), not working (57 per cent.) and with nearly half (45 per cent.) rarely (i.e. less than once a week) or never using the internet.
	The recent launch on Freeview and on analogue TV via Teletext enables citizens who do not subscribe to a TV provider are able to access Directgov content via Freeview Teletext, which means that Directgov is now available to virtually all TV viewers.
	Directgov is reaching new audiences on web and non-web enabled kiosks, laptops and PCs in a diverse range of locations, including health centres, Age Concern and an Army community centre as part of the Starthere project with NHS Choices. All user journeys are tracked and there is also a questionnaire that asks about the user experience and people's background. The final report will be available in June 2009.
	Directgov is also working closely with CLG on the Digital Inclusion Action Plan and the Digital Britain Report to ensure that it is involved in the strategic direction of these programmes. These proposals are likely to include closer working with partnership organisations, such as CAB and children's centres.

Employment

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the likely effects of the recession on levels of employment in  (a) rural and  (b) urban areas.

Tony McNulty: The Department does not forecast levels of employment or unemployment. We have not yet assessed the impact of the recession on employment rates at local authority district level. Although employment data are available by local authority districts, these data come from the Annual Population Survey (APS) and will be susceptible to sample fluctuation. We use the APS for sub-regional analysis because it has a larger sample size and is more robust at a sub-regional level than the quarterly Labour Force Survey (LFS).
	In addition, the latest APS data available at present covers October 2007 to September 2008, so it does not provide an up-to-date assessment of the impact of the recession. As a short term indicator we think that the best measure to use is the claimant count.
	Analysis of claimant count data between February 2008 and February 2009 by local authority district shows that local authority districts that can be classified as rural have experienced larger percentage increases in the claimant count, but in absolute terms these areas tend to have a lower proportion of their working age population claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), and on average the percentage point increase in the proportion of working age residents claiming JSA is similar across rural and urban areas.
	We will continue to monitor the impact of the recession across the country and for different types of area.
	The percentage increase in claimant count, average claimant count rate, and the percentage point increase in claimant count rate for local authority districts in England aggregated according to DEFRA's classification is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Local authority classification  Average claimant count Rate (Feb 08)  Average claimant count rate (Feb 09)  Percentage point increase in average claimant count rate (Feb 08 -09)  Percentage increase in claimant count (February 08-09) 
			 Major Urban 2.5 4.0 1.5 54 
			 Large Urban 2.1 3.8 1.7 71 
			 Other Urban 2.2 4.1 1.9 85 
			 Significant Rural 1.6 3.2 1.6 98 
			 Rural - 50 1.5 3.1 1.6 109 
			 Rural - 80 1.3 2.7 1.4 106 
			  Source:  NOMIS

Employment Schemes

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what form sanctions will take in the progression to work pathfinders for participants who fail to engage with support without good cause.

Jonathan R Shaw: Within the progression to work pathfinders we plan to test the key principles of the model of escalating sanctions set out in "Realising Potential: A Vision for Personalised Conditionality and Support", an independent review published by Professor Gregg in December 2008. In the "White Paper Raising Expectations And Increasing Support: Reforming Welfare For The Future" (Cm7506), published in December 2008, we set out our intention to test an escalating sanctions model and are currently working up the detail of how this model will operate.

Employment Schemes

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many payments have been made in each region to date under the employers' golden hello scheme announced by his Department on 12 January 2009.

Tony McNulty: We announced on 12 January that a new six month offer would be launched in April 2009. That offer has been in place since 6 April 2009. Information on payments will be available at the appropriate time.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobseeker's allowance claimants there were per Jobcentre Plus  (a) staff member and  (b) personal adviser in each of the last 12 months, broken down by region; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Ruth Owen :
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many Jobseeker's Allowance claimants there were per (a) staff Jobcentre Plus member and (b) personal adviser in each of the last 12 months, broken down by region. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to Mel Groves as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus. Mel Groves is currently on Annual Leave and I am replying in his absence.
	Jobcentre Plus has a key role in helping both individuals and employers in the current economic situation. Our priority is to ensure people receive the benefits they are entitled to and the support and training necessary to get back to work as soon as possible, and help employers fill their vacancies with suitably qualified people.
	Working with a range of partners, we promote work as the best form of welfare, helping unemployed and economically inactive people of working age move closer to the labour market and compete effectively for work, while providing appropriate help and support for those without work.
	In addition to Jobseeker's Allowance, Jobcentre Plus staff deal with a wide range of benefits including Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance and Bereavement Benefits. I enclose a copy of the available information and a copy has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	
		
			  Ratio of jobseeker's allowance claimants to total Jobcentre Plus staff 
			   Total  East  East Midlands  London  North East  North West  Scotland  South East  South West  Wales  West Midlands  Yorks  and the Humber 
			  2007 
			 December 11.46 13.05 12.00 17.72 10.74 9.32 8.88 12.37 8.63 8.39 15.28 10.09 
			  2008 
			 January 12.05 13.82 12.50 17.72 11.54 10.19 9.50 13.00 9.33 9.06 15.59 10.59 
			 February 12.33 14.15 12.82 17.87 11.77 10.55 9.76 13.29 9.66 9.39 15.73 10.88 
			 March 12.32 14.08 12.89 17.80 11.80 10.52 9.68 13.54 9.69 9.34 15.51 10.95 
			 April 12.28 13.95 12.93 17.58 11.75 10.68 9.51 13.57 9.56 9.16 15.54 11.05 
			 May 12.30 14.01 13.03 17.69 11.73 10.62 9.46 13.56 9.58 9.08 15.44 11.14 
			 June 12.18 13.70 12.81 17.76 11.37 10.45 9.51 13.48 9.50 8.88 15.37 11.08 
			 July 12.54 13.66 13.21 17.89 11.62 11.00 9.87 13.83 9.94 9.30 15.63 11.65 
			 August 13.28 14.46 14.16 18.54 12.31 11.71 10.37 14.61 10.88 9.92 16.55 12.45 
			 September 13.66 14.98 14.49 19.03 12.83 12.11 10.25 15.29 11.30 10.22 16.99 12.89 
			 October 14.08 15.61 14.65 19.33 13.43 12.37 10.53 15.82 12.05 10.54 17.32 13.44 
			 November 15.29 17.30 15.96 20.10 14.61 13.20 11.50 17.82 13.60 11.63 18.67 14.62 
			  Notes:  Jobseeker's allowance data 1. Figures exclude clerical cases. 2. Data is published at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk  Source: 100 per cent. count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus Computer Systems (computer held cases only).  Jobcentre Plus total staffing numbers 3. A small number of staff have not been allocated to Government office region on the payroll system. These have been included in calculations for the total but not the individual regions.  Source: Data View (Payroll extract). 
		
	
	
		
			  Ratio of jobseeker's allowance claimants to  Jobcentre Plus personal advisers 
			   Total  East  East Midlands  London  North East  North West  Scotland  South East  South West  Wales  West Midlands  York s  and the Humber 
			  2007 
			 December 82.71 87.24 93.93 88.52 76.11 78.27 70.14 85.73 62.47 74.87 103.00 82.88 
			  2008 
			 January 86.88 92.37 98.01 88.58 80.60 84.00 75.98 89.98 67.98 81.09 106.87 86.89 
			 February 89.38 95.48 101.14 89.62 83.61 86.75 78.54 92.40 70.80 83.72 110.23 89.01 
			 March 89.46 96.24 101.86 89.17 85.73 87.07 78/71 91.97 69.86 83.74 108.97 89.40 
			 April 90.87 97.50 103.71 88.73 86.04 90.03 79.99 95.72 71.97 83.86 108.00 92.19 
			 May 90.19 96.09 103.23 89.30 84.56 88.25 78.85 95.55 72.43 82.53 106.36 92.19 
			 June 90.34 93.69 102.92 90.44 83.57 88.33 79.25 95.28 73.01 81.42 106.82 93.83 
			 July 93.22 95.30 105.58 92.54 85.64 92.64 80.50 95.88 77.86 86.06 110.84 98.07 
			 August 99.25 99.62 111.48 97.72 91.02 96.93 87.11 101.47 86.49 93.76 118.94 104.32 
			 September 99.92 100.44 110.03 98.82 92.15 96.23 85.67 103.04 88.95 96.12 119.64 106.25 
			 October 102.61 104.40 111.19 100.21 97.29 97.62 87.61 106.39 96.37 97.71 120.87 110.52 
			 November 111.62 114.40 123.68 104.58 106.82 105.08 94.59 122.12 111.07 106.95 129.95 118.83 
			  Notes:  Jobseeker's allowance data 1. Figures exclude clerical cases. 2. Data is published at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk  Source: 100 per cent. count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus Computer Systems (computer held cases only).  Jobcentre Plus  personal adviser staffing numbers  Source: Activity Based Management system.

Motability

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average cost of vehicle adaptations provided by the Motability scheme was in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: Motability is an independent charitable company and is responsible for the administration of the Motability scheme. As Motability provides many vehicle adaptations free of charge and the cost of others are met by a combination of the customers own contribution and financial assistance from the scheme, it is not practical for Motability to produce a single average cost figure of vehicle adaptations.
	Further information about Motability can be obtained directly from the scheme at the following address:
	Declan O'Mahony
	Director and Chief Executive
	Motability
	Warwick House
	Roydon Road
	Harlow
	Essex
	CM19 5PX

Social Security Benefits: Disabled

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1793W, on incapacity benefit, how many claimants of both incapacity benefit and employment support allowance there were aged  (a) under 30 years and  (b) under 40 years categorised by the condition limiting their capability for work in the most recent year for which figure are available; and if he will set out on the same basis figures for those who have been in receipt of both benefits for five years or more.

Jonathan R Shaw: DWP will be publishing National Statistics on Employment and Support Allowance in summer 2009. The available information has been placed in the Library.

State Retirement Pensions

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number and proportion of people of working age in each age group without any form of pension saving outside the basic state pension in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is presented in the following tables.
	The introduction of auto-enrolment and personal accounts in 2012 is intended to increase private pension coverage by making it easier and more attractive for those workers not currently saving privately to do so. We estimate that between six to nine million people will be newly saving or saving more from the reforms.
	
		
			  Proportion of working age population contributing to a private pension by age, Great Britain 
			  Percentage 
			   20-29  30-39  40-49  50 to SPA  Total 
			 1999-2000 32 53 55 42 46 
			 2000-01 30 52 55 42 45 
			 2001-02 30 52 56 42 45 
			 2002-03 28 51 55 43 45 
			 2003-04 27 50 54 42 44 
			 2004-05 25 48 53 43 43 
			 2005-06 24 47 51 43 42 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of working age population contributing to a private pension by age, Great Britai n 
			  Million 
			   20-29  30-39  40-49  50 to SPA  Total 
			 1999-2000 2.3 4.7 4.1 3.5 14.5 
			 2000-01 2.2 4.6 4.1 3.5 14.5 
			 2001-02 2.2 4.6 4.3 3.6 14.7 
			 2002-03 2.0 4.5 4.3 3.7 14.6 
			 2003-04 1.9 4.4 4.3 3.7 14.3 
			 2004-05 1.8 4.1 4.2 3.8 13.9 
			 2005-06 1.7 4.0 4.2 3.8 13.7 
			  Notes: 1. All figures are estimates and are taken from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). 2005-06 is the latest year for which these data are available. 2. Private pension refers to either an occupational, personal or stakeholder pension scheme. 3. Working age is 20 to state pension age (SPA); 20-59 for women and 20-64 for men. 4. FRS survey data is taken at a point in time. People who do not have private pension provision in a given year can save later on in life or may have had private pensions in the past.  Source:  Family Resources Survey, Great Britain, 1999-2000 to 2005-06.